Mary or Mary'ed
by Aquarius Angel
Summary: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter One

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N.: This chapter is a little slow, but it is the set up for the rest of the story. Trust me if you keep reading the story will unfold. Oh this is season six, when Rory restarts Yale and Logan redeemed himself after the Thanksgiving oops. However this is before Logan's sisters wedding and the mouthy bridesmaids.

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Though the brigade would never admit to this, they were at times found to be acting like regular students. Not the regular college students who party and drink coffee, though as we all know they do plenty of that in their own way, but the students who were at times forced to study. And like everything else they do wither it was considered a law or more of an understanding, they would gather together around their reigning prince and their first princess before ever thinking of studying alone or with anyone else from their group.

However, their study group was far from the typical college study session. For one they were all studying different classes, from math to journalism, or economics to foreign politics. Still the group would find just the presence of friends, who are also stuck studying, as an encouragement to attempt to bucker down for a night of studying.

For the most part the group remained silent during their study sessions, at least for the first forty minutes or so. After a while someone in the group, okay mainly Finn, would start to grow restless, and so as all things this group does they would spruce up their study time, they did this by creating a question game, similar to truth or dare only with studying. Sometimes the questions would have to do with one persons study subject. Like what are the pros and cons of corporations expanding and globalization?

Answers would vary:

"Easier to travel to locations that have yet been conquered, and yet leaving those areas to be conquered by entrepreneurs." Colin would usually answer in some manor that would either be Life or Death Brigade related or all business.

"People walking around in fake Prada and Dior and at the same time making it easier for me to hire maids from Asia." Stephanie always related it to herself or fashion, though occasionally would surprise everyone with a comment that was philosophical or charitable.

"Jobs taken away from within the country, but corporations make more money with out unions and minimum wages." Rory's answers were generally correct, or she would quickly Google for the correct answer, it wouldn't be until the end of the night and a hurting brain that she would finally give up and answer with a more comic and pop cultured referenced answer.

Finn's answers revolved around parting and usually a drink, movie, or song reference. And Logan would either refuse to comment or answer with a witty and correct answer as he could on the spur of the moment (mean 95 of the time).

None the less, as their study nights got later and those involved started getting bored with their books, okay so it was usually Finn who was lacking any and all alcohol beverage, the questions would start veering off study questions. Usually the questions came out randomly and were usually just as random. Like what's your favorite color, what schools did you attend, questions you would assume that friends would know about each other, but this group did not and thus were added into the game. These questions would only really start getting personal when it got to be after a certain time in the morning, usually around four. And that's when the studying usually stopped as everyone was paying more attention to the question and the answers than their actual books.

But that's just a general overview of what happens to the main five members of the Life and Death Brigade on their study nights. True some nights they have additional members, but for the most part it was usually just the five of them. The King Logan, the Queen Rory, the jester Finn, the lady in waiting Stephanie, and the advisor Collin, these five made up the royal court of the LDB.

On this night no one knew what their questioning would lead too, and after this night no one will take claim in who asked the question that set the following events into play…

It was a few weeks into the spring semester. Rory was back at Yale, and back together with Logan. The professors had started handing out mid-term assignments all ready, and the LDB court was cracking down and pulling an all night study session. It started off with a good portion of the LDB being present but as the time flew, or rather crawled, they were down to just the five students studying. Rory being behind in her studies and having an extra work load hardly paid attention to the questions that had started an hour earlier. Logan was making up for her lack of talking by actually answering the majority of the questions, and actually taking the time to goggle for answers. But Logan had gotten up to make more coffee, and the group was growing restless and demanding in their want to avoid the studying.

"Jockie."

"What kind of name is that?" Stephanie asked Collin

"Oh there's a story, but not one suited for your virgin ears."

"Whatever. Rory…Hey Rory!" Stephanie said while the three of them stared at her yellow stained hand and the pure yellow page under her nose. They were asking personal questions now and Rory hadn't answered one yet. Stephanie was not about to let her get past this one, even though she already knew Rory's answer. "Rory, answer time."

Without even looking up Rory answered, "Mary."

"What?" Collin asked not sure what she said.

"Do you even know what the question is love, you have you eyes, noise and ears into that book." Finn replied with the closing of his politics book.

Rory sighed and looked up from her journalism guide to look at the three staring at her. "You were asking about nick-names, Princess, Lover from Down-under, and Jockie. Mine was Mary." She had left it at that by picking up her highlighter and reopening her book to continue studying.

They were all expecting their queen to answer Ace, the nickname Logan gave her, and refers to her as more than her given name. However her answer threw them all for a loop. Not to mention the significance of the nickname she mentioned.

"Does Logan know?" Stephanie asked. Rory not realizing that she was being talked to ignored her. "Rory does Logan know?"

Logan having walked back into the room with a pot of hot coffee was a bit confused. He had heard Rory's voice, he assumed that they had finally gotten her to answer one of the stupid questions, but now he wished we had heard her answer. "Does Logan know what?"

Staphanie, Collin and Finn all had their mouths hanging open and looking from Rory to him. Rory on the other hand appeared to still be studying. Logan assumed that it was something that Rory was not aware of, sure he was use to Rory not knowing everything about the ways of the life he lived, but what could she have said that left his three closest friends in shock and her so clueless.

Seeing that the three were not going to answer him, Logan filled Rory's cup with more coffee. "Ace what was the question?" Logan knew that she really did not want to be studying with the group tonight because she had a big test in the morning, but this proves that she can block everything out around her, however he needed to know. "Rory."

"What?" She honestly didn't hear him, she knew he refilled her coffee but she did not hear him ask a question, she really needed to get the journalism notes down before the morning.

"What was the question?" Logan asked again, looking over at the still shocked faces of the trio. If they weren't careful their faces would freeze like that.

"They were asking about high school nicknames. Why?" Rory said now looking over at the three staring at them. "What's wrong with them?"

"What was your answer?" Logan asked while taking a seat, he now had an idea, but he needed to hear her response.

"Um…you know how I transferred into Chilton, well the very first day this boy started calling me Mary it kind of stuck for a while." Rory said hoping to get back to her studying now that she told Logan this.

"You don't know, she doesn't know." Stephanie said back to back not letting Rory say if she knew or not, though the entire room knew she didn't have a clue as to what they were talking about.

"How can she be mary'ed and not know." Collin asked while finally sitting back in his chair shaking his head.

Finn started laughing, until Logan gave him a look that said stop or I'll kick you out.

Logan for his part remained calm. "Well it can't be the bad, I mean you did have other boyfriends before me, of course you dated someone from you school. This means no rules have been broken, and thus we are in the clear."

Rory looked at him like he was crazy, because she had no clue as to what he was talking about. "No I didn't, my other two boyfriends were from my hometown, not Chilton."

Finn started laughing, but it was Stephanie this time to stop him with a kick to the shin.

Logan was still calm. "Well did you at least go on one date with the guy that deemed you as Mary?" Rory just looked at him like he was crazy. "Ace you got to work with me here, there are only a handful of ways to get around this and you seem to not have accomplished any of them." Logan was starting to get mad, which just confused Rory and thus making her mad.

"Will someone, anyone of you four, please tell me what is going on, and why this is so important all of a sudden?" Rory stared at all them. Logan had his head in his hands, losing all hope. Collin looked grim, Finn was on the verge of laughing again, and Stephanie was looking from the three guys hoping one of them would answer. "ANYONE ANSWER ME NOW!"

They all grimaced, but Stephanie looked over at her. "Well it has been a tradition from way back that as a reigning royalty, per say, you have the right to "Mary" one girl."

"What? I thought it was the Virgin Mary thing."

"Well it is, but it is also more." Stephanie looked at Collin for help.

"The girl that is called Mary is considered off limits to all, until she has been "de-Mary'ed," Seeing that Rory was going to interrupt he continue quickly, "which does not mean her loosing her virginity necessarily. There are a few ways to be de-mary'ed. However it seems that you did not get de-Mary'ed, and thus Logan can not date you."

Rory was really confused, but was not sure what questions to ask or if she really wanted any answers.

"Really it's simple, a girl is named Mary, and no one can touch her until she dates the guy that gave her the nickname." Finn said. "However if I would have been at the school I would have helped in de-Marying you." He finished with a wink.

Rory was not sure what to think. She looked over at Logan who still had his head in his hands. "We are not in high school anymore, does it still matter?" Rory was talking to Logan, but it was Collin who answered

"Some would say no, more would say yes. Tradition states that the de-marying should have taken place within a year of deeming. Whoever deemed you must not have been a true gentlemen player."

Rory didn't give Collin an answer. Honestly she wasn't sure if she would have ever dated anyone from Chilton, maybe if Jess wasn't around at the time of her and Dean's downward slop, but those what-if thoughts were not helping her present state. Quickly remembering Logan's reaction to finding out she had not been "de-mary'ed" and Collin saying that they could not date.

"Logan?" Rory was looking at her boyfriend hoping he would give her a reassuring smirk. He didn't even look up as he shook his head no. "So you won't continue dating me since I have not been 'de-mary'ed'?" Logan would still not look up at her. "FINE!" Rory slammed her book close, got up, quickly threw her books into her two bags, grabbed her purse and was quickly heading for the door.

"What do you plan to do Rory?" Stephanie asked before Rory had the chance to leave the apartment.

"Since this 'Mary-thing' is so important to the four of you, I will go get 'de-mary'ed', any questions?" Rory said staring at the four of them, Collin, Finn and Stephanie were all looking at her while Logan had gotten up and walked back into the kitchen.

"You never told us who the King of Chilton was that Mary'ed you." Finn said with a big grin.

"Tristan DuGrey."


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Two

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N.: Sorry, I was going to post sooner but I made a quick trip home instead. Now to answer some questions: 1) The whole "de-mary"ing issue (my view), The most popular guy choses one girl who he thinks would not date him or does not appear to be his type, (Rory is defiantly not Tristan's type and would not date him), and until he has dated or concluded for himself that they would not make good couple, no other guy in the school is suppose to consider dating the chosen girl. I left it vague mostly because each school would have different traditions, but with the Finn comment I suggested that if the girl chooses another popular guy to date before dating the one that deemed her his "mary" she would also be "de-marry'ed". 2) I made the five of them the LDB royalty to add to the first chapter since to me it was a pretty boring chapter. If you don't agree I am sorry. 3) After hearing the questions about why Logan would follow this stupid tradition, I thought of a plot twist so you will just have to wait. I thought he was a bit out of character in Chapter One.

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**Chapter Two**

"Paris I need his number now!"

"It won't do you any good right now." Rory had rushed into the Apartment, screaming at Paris as she unlocked the doors out of order, in order to avoid Paris attacking her in her attempts to gain access to her best friend. Paris seeing the Rory was in no mood to put up with her normal hostel talking was just trying to get some answers from Rory in her unstable state. Sometime in Rory's yelling through the door and her anger ranting once she got inside Paris heard Mary, King, Logan, Ass, Dumb-whitted, bible boy, date, and finally I need Tristan's number NOW!. Rory having ranted for a good thirty minutes was calmer, however her pacing proved she was still mad.

Rory was so sure Paris would have the information she needed to get a hold of her old high school crush that she was not listening to what Paris was saying. She just kept glaring at Paris's refusal to give her the number she was so sure that would end her troubles.

"Just the number Paris."

Paris sighed and tried again to reason with the hysterical girl. "I only have his office number, it will do no good until seven. Why don't you try to study some more for your test and I will give you his number first thing in the morning."

Rory stopped her pacing long enough to look at the clock and see that it was already seven-oh-five. Pointing at her watch Rory was about to start again, but Paris was already looking through her address book. "Fine here you go, but I wouldn't…" Seeing that Rory was already dialing she just went back into her room to leave Rory to deal with her own problems.

"Good morning, Mr. T.A. DuGrey Personal Line, this is Wendy how my help?"

"I would like to talk to Tristan…please."

"Mr. DuGrey is unavailable. Could I please take a message or set up an appointment for you?"

"An appointment would work. As soon as possible." Wendy sounded nice enough, but Rory was to agitated to pay attention to anything but being able to talk to Tristan.

"If I could please have your name and number, his secretary will call you back with in six to ten business days."

"You are not his secretary?" Rory asked getting mad again

"No I am the receptionist, now your name please."

"Ugh…I can't wait a week I need to get this taken care of now!"

"I'm sorry miss, but…" Wendy was not use to getting anger females on Mr. DuGrey's personal line, occasional on the business line one or two would call but never on the personal line that was reserved for family and close friends of Mr. DuGrey. She was not sure how to handle the situation.

"No, I tried to do this the proper way. You tell Mr. DuGrey that if he doesn't call Rory Gilmore back with in twenty-four hours he will be very sorry." Rory quickly hanged up on Wendy, only to turn around and have Paris right behind her.

"You forgot to leave your number." Paris said with one of her rare smiles.

"He was the one to "Mary" me, I think he should be able to figure out how to get a hold of me."

"And what if he doesn't call."

"Not now Paris." Rory said while storming into her old room were a few of her belongs still remained. Logan was at first against her leaving items there, but Rory simple said that she couldn't part with it all, her mom didn't have room for it with the finishing up of the remodeling still going on, and she would probably spend at least a few nights a week hanging out, meaning studying or working on the paper, at the apartment and might need the place to crush.

"Five…four…three…two…one…"

"UGH! Give me that phone."

"Okay, but do try to be nicer this time." Paris handed Rory the phone and proceed to walk into her room.

"Good morning, Mr. T.A. DuGrey Personal Line, this is Wendy how my help?"

"Yes Wendy, this is Rory Gilmore again."

"Ms. Gilmore Mr. DuGrey is still busy." Wendy could not believe that this hysterical women was trying to call again. Though Wendy wrote down the message to give Mr. DuGrey she was going to pass it through Helen Mr. DuGrey's personal secretary instead of giving it to Mr. DuGrey personally, which is what she would normally do with the messages she received from his personal line. Mr. DuGrey was a very socially busy man and dealing with crazy women was not penciled into his schedule. Of course Mrs. Helen was currently out of town and Wendy was suppose to be filling in for the two days, but Wendy was still not going to bother her sometimes quick tempered employer with this coded message.

"I was not expecting you to say anything else."

"Would you like me to add to your message?" Wendy was looking at the message she had just finished writing and wondering what else the cryptic Ms. Gilmore would like to add it. The secretary's eyes were drawn to her phones blinking red light, signaling that her employer would like to speak to her. "I'm sorry Ms. Gilmore, but may I please put you on hold?"

"I would not like to be on hold, but I understand, just please don't leave me there for long." Rory was getting frustrated but she took heed to Paris advise and was trying to stay calm and not getting hysterical again.

"How may I help you Mr. DuGrey?" Wendy said through her phone.

"Good morning Wendy, has anyone called on my personal line?" Tristan was expecting his mother to call, having just sent his regards to not being able to attend her garden party that would take place next week.

"I'm sorry Mr. DuGrey but there have been no calls through your personal line." Wendy said a little shaky.

Tristan heard the unsurety in her voice and knew she was lying. Wendy was new, and was afraid to upset her new employer. He couldn't blame her for wanting to pass everything through Helen, but with Helen taking a long weekend, Tristan was hoping Wendy would step up and start testing Tristan's boundaries with phone calls and appointments. "Are you sure a hysterical women yelling to talk to me immediately did not call my personal line this morning?" Tristan said with a smirk on his face.

"Well, I'm sorry Mr. DuGrey but there is this one woman who has called twice wishing to speak to you, but I was going to have Helen call her back next week. She is still on line three if you would like to speak to her."

"Wendy that would be my mother, and that is how she always is, I will pick up the call in a minute. Oh and Wendy you could of just given me the message and then I would have told you what I wanted done."

"Yes Mr. DuGrey."

"Bye." With that Tristan hanged up. He hated having sectaries that were either afraid to give him messages or couldn't wait to grab his attention. Wendy was young, new to the field, and happily married according to Tristan's personal secretary and good friend Helen. This gave Tristan hope that after three years of working for his father that he would finally have a receptionist and desk secretary that would last longer than a month. Helen wanted and deserved some vacation time and without a stand-in she absolutely refused to leave Tristan's side.

After taking a few minutes to clear his desk of distractions, Tristan took a deep breath to deal with his mother. "Good Morning Mother, and before you blow up in my face about Wendy she was just doing her job. And it is not her fault or my own that I will not be able to attend your garden party, and don't demand to talk to Helen either because she is on vacation. Now what can I do for you?"

Rory was a bit surprised. She was expecting to hear Wendy's voice not the voice of the man that she had just spent ten minutes ranting about, and half the night trying to figure out how five years after the last time she had seen him, he was still managing to tangle in her relationships. She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

"I'm sorry Tristan to disappoint you but I was not going to blow up in your face, as you so gracefully put it, about not attending a garden party. And now that I have time to cool down I think Wendy did a wonderful job dealing with my hysterics first thing in the morning. But seeing that I have finally left you speechless I will assume that she did not tell you who you would be speaking too. If you have not figured it out let me remind you…"

"Rory Gilmore." Tristan could not believe the voice speaking to him over his phone. After five years of not seeing her, even though Paris would speak of her constantly, he was beyond surprise to hear her voice over his personal line. He assumed that one day they would run into each other at one of the many social events that they both made appearances at, however he never thought that they would speak on the phone. "Is this a social call?" He couldn't believe that he sounded so harsh speaking to her, but it was said now.

"Glad you did not forget, and no this is all business." He sounded different than what she remembered, not cocky, not agragint, more harsh and business like. She was not sure how to deal with this side of the King of Chilton. The cocky smartass she could handle with ease, infact she was good at matching all his 'endearments' with her own comebacks. But Tristan had changed, she had changed, and though she needed to discuss high school matters, they were not in high school anymore.

"I was not aware that you were in the insurance business."

"I'm not."

"Then what business do we have in common?"

"The business of you marrying me," Rory was so shocked by his attitude that whatever calm and peace she gained went right out the window and she was pissed off again.

"Excuse me, I was not aware of any betrothal between our families." Tristan was shocked by his attitude, he was talking to one the girl he was always willing to change for, well at least five years ago he would have changed for, if his parents wouldn't have drive him crazy if his grandfather would not have gotten so sick, if she would have shown the least bit interested in him. But that was all in the past and this was the present. He had taken his 'rightful' place in the family business and was now trying to balance his responsibilities while not changing into the man that 'fathered' him and the man that he now heard talking on the phone.

"We aren't betrothed you….you…ugh…its about you calling me Mary, and thus 'mary'ed' me.' Rory lost her passionate and her normal since of pop-culture references that she inherited from her mother. When her mother got upset she was able to come up with witty comebacks, but not her, no she just got tongue tied.

Tristan was a bit taken back. Why would Rory be bring that old nickname up now? "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Ugh, don't you know the connotation behind calling me Mary?"

Tristan was a bit lost. Why did he call her Mary? Then it all came rushing back to him. First day of sophomore year, and his 'friends' were joking around on how he was the new King of Chilton, since J.R. graduated the year before, and no one else had the personality or social skills to take his place except for himself. He was laughing and joking around with his 'friends' when he laid eyes on the brown hair girl that look like fish out of water just standing there looking around her with deer in the head-lights eyes. He stopped laughing and it took all but a few minutes for his friends to realize that their new 'king' was not paying attention to them. And that's when somebody, Joey maybe, that said 'That must be the new girl. Grandparents are from Hartford, but her mother was a high school slut who got knocked up and ran away. She is supposed to be smart, but not quite in our league. She would be a perfect Mary.' Yeah that is how he got the idea, being a cocky teenager just receiving his first power trip he claimed her as his Mary.

"I know what the name means Rory, however I am wondering what this has to do at present," he said with a sigh, never expecting to have this sort of conversation with Rory Gilmore. Some how she must of learned what exactly the name meant, and thus wants his head on a platter.

"It would seem that Logan will not continue to date me until we take care of the de-marying." Rory said in a huff.

Tristan was beyond shocked by that proclamation. "I'm not sure what kind of guy you think I am but…"

"Ugh…I mean taking me out on a date. According to Finn we just have to date. I have never and still do not plan on sleeping with you, just because of some stupid tradition."

"If you think it is just some stupid tradition then why did you make this phone call?" Three years ago if he would have made this come back, he would have had a cocky smirk on his face, but now it was just a cold and almost exhausted question.

"Because I love Logan, and if this is important to him, I will do whatever it takes to make us a couple again. I did not go through all this just to lose him because of some stupid high school, cocky, power hungry boy thing." Rory let out the remaining of her breath, took a new deep breath and continued. "Now when are you free to go on a date?"


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Three

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N.: Short I know. And I will answer whatever question people ask in feedback during the next chapter. Sorry but with school starting this week, I have been busy visiting with my boyfriend and family. Post more latter this week!!

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**Chapter Three**

"Well as far as I can see you have two options?"

"Why is that?"

"You want to get back together with your boyfriend and according to you that can't happen until we 'date'. Thus you have option one come to Europe with me or option two you spend at least another month apart from Hutzberger."

It had been a trying month for both Rory and Tristan. After that first phone call Tristan had tried setting up a time to meet up with her to get this 'de-marying' business taken care of, however their schedules just did not match up, and Rory was not taking the news very well. Every time one of them had to cancel, which was not always him, she would end up ranting for a good twenty minutes about how if he wasn't such a boy-band, Elvis Presley, Rhett Butler, Mr. Darcy, bible boy they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. For his part Tristan had no clue how any of those fictional (well half fictional) characters had anything to do with him, but he wisely refrained from commenting on that fact when Rory was ranting. He would let her rant, all the while sighing and rolling his eyes over this stupid web of a mess that he was sure everyone blamed him for creating. However the time came for his semi-annual business trip, a vacation of sorts that he refused to miss no matter what comes up. He even mad the point of stopping in at Paris and Rory's apartment to tell her in person.

"By the way how is Hutzberger taking the news that you were claimed by a DuGrey?" Tristan said with a small smirk on his face. It was not the same cocky smirk of his youth, but it was close enough to drive Rory into a tizzy.

"For your information he is not talking to me right now, because he thinks it is my fault that our 'dates' are always being canceled. He even suggested taking over the newspaper."

"An even better reason for you to take a week off."

Rory thought about what Tristan was offering her. It would give everyone the appearance they were spending time together, making sure they were not compatible or whatever crap their dating is suppose to signify. But in reality being in Europe she could do her own thing, like when she went with her Grandma. There were so many more sites and people she could meet if she went. "I have a rather full load this semester, playing catch-up and all, plus the paper. I can't just leave for a week."

"You will be on Spring break," Tristan said with a knowing smile. He was close to winning her over to the idea of going with him.

"The paper does not stop for break, and that does not mean I don't already have plans to study all week. Or for that matter spend time at home with my mom or with Logan."

"As far as I can see that's not a problem." Rory gave him a look that just screamed 'how did you figure all this out?' "Your boyfriend is already avoiding you until we take care of this, plus he has already offered to take care of the newsroom. Which if you are honest with yourself is a good thing since he will be running them for the rest of his life. And what he can't handle or wants your opinion on he can call or e-mail to you. Truth be told if he can't handle the Yale Daily Newsroom, he will never be able to run any other newsroom his father may give him. And as for your mother, she is more than welcome to come if she wishes." Tristan had a disgusted look on his face when he talked about Logan, who would have thought that her current boyfriend and the guy that had a crush on her in high school were revivals or mortal enemies in society. However when mentioning her mother he seemed to be genuinely honest.

"Okay say I agree, and he agrees to take over the paper, what about my homework, papers, and research?" Now she was fishing for excuses and they both knew it.

"I only travel on business twice a year, and will more than likely be in meetings all day, usually well into the night. You will have plenty of time to do your school work or to sight-see, whatever you want to do really. Honestly I wouldn't care if just told them you were going with me and then went on your own trip. It's up to you Rory."

Tristan just gave Rory the answer she was looking for. She would be going away with him, but never be with him. "So we would hardly spend time together?"

"Disappointed Mary?" It was the first time Tristan had called her Mary since this whole 'business' came up, and he said it with as much of his old high school cocky smirk that he could muster. Rory was not prepared for the return of the smirk, having learnt to deal with his new equanimity persona that she was a bit thrown off and left speechless. Thankfully his smirk did not last and Tristan was back to being Mr. Insurance once again. "You were the one who said that we had to spend time together to erase the 'Mary' stigma, and everyone else will think that, isn't that all that matters. What everyone else thinks?" Though he was being sarcastic his face did not change for the poker face that his once cute boyish face had turned into over the years. He had changed so quickly from the cocky Tristan to the cold Tristan that Rory was still left speechless wondering why hadn't she inherited her mothers quick wittedness in times of pressure. Tristan finally sighed, "Rory we would be killing two birds with one stone."

Finally she gained her voice but only to say, "How so?"

"You don't want to spend time with me, but have to for the sake of your relationship. I on the other hand would not mind spending time with you, however can't. So if we appear to be spending a romantic week in Europe together, people will think that we realized we would never work and you would loose the Mary title and I will be left alone to get back to work."

Rory was surprise by how much his nonchalant attitude was hurting her. Sure he said he would like to spend time with her, but by following that comment with statement about what people thinking is happening really wouldn't happened, made the lie seem…well just wrong. However she was not going to let Tristan know how he hurt her with his comments. "Okay so when does the plan leave."

"So you agree." It was a comment not a question. "My driver will pick you up and take you to the airport. My secretary, Helen I believe the two of you have become quite close these last few weeks, will contact you with details tomorrow." With that being said he started heading to the door, assuming that their discussion was done.

Rory was not about to let him off that easily. "What do you want me to tell everyone?"

"The truth."

"Which is?"

"That in order to answer the 'Mary' theory, or whatever they are calling it, we have decided to get away from those who know us and will impact or decision, to figure out if there is ever the chance of there being an us. Europe was the natural choice since it would provide us with that space." He said simply while opening the door to leave.

"Tristan…" She said quietly, quickly as a way to stop him from just walking away. He stopped but did not respond. "I'm sorry."

"So am I."


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Four

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N.: So, I know I have said before that I already have a good portion of this story written, however I am not going to be posting all the time. Because then I will fall into writers block. But since I have managed to type a good portion of a chapter the last couple of days, I thought we both deserved an update! So enjoy

Oh and Because I forgot multiply times before: I don't own the rights to Gilmore Girls, however I do own all but the current seasons on DVD!!!!!!!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"He said Europe, last time I watch CNN they were saying that Russia was not in Europe. Do you know something that I don't? And remember I am a Chilton graduate, and Yale student, not only do I possess the finest education a student could want, but Doggie Houser has nothing on me when it comes to current events."

"Sorry Miss," Mark the driver said with a semi-smiley. Master Tristan had mentioned that his visitor might be a little mad when she was picked up, but Mark just thought the spit-fire beauty in his back seat was a pleasure to be around.

Rory sighed she was not all that mad, and defiantly not at the nice driver that had picked her up, but she was annoyed and curious about why Tristan had lied to her about where they would be going. "It's not your fault, Mark, its Tristan's and he will know as soon as I see him."

"Ms. Rory that maybe a while, Mr. Tristan has not been calling for a ride until early morning and then leaves the flat just a few hours later." Mark smiled at Rory in the rearview mirror, hoping to reassure her that her time in Russia will be well spent.

"Does he sleep?" Rory didn't know if she was mad because it may be awhile for her to confront her current tormenter or worried that he might be working himself sick.

"According to Jeni, very little, though some say he tends to take ten minute naps between meetings."

Mark was trying to lighten Rory's mood and she found that he was succeeding with every smile he sent her way. She found herself finally cracking a smile for the fist time in over a month. Tristan was very lucky to have at least a driver with a since of humor, even if he did not. "Good shows that he is human like the rest of us."

"Have you ever been to Russia, Ms. Rory?"

"No, and I will be excited once I get over the fact of being in Asia instead of Europe."

Mark smiled and nodded in understanding. "When you decide to go out give me a call, I am at your service."

"Thanks Mark, I will take you up on that offer after I get the chance to yell at Tristan first." She gave him a wink and smile.

The car stopped and Mark got out, but is was the doorman who opened the car door.

"Welcome to Star-cross Tower Ms. Gilmore."

"Thank you, and it is Rory." She left the car and looked up at twenty story building that stood infront of her. Standing on the stairs was another gentleman who was waiting for Rory to take the few stairs up to the door.

"Ms. Gilmore, welcome to Star-cross Tower. I am Zasha, the coordinator of the towers and tower's residential activities. I will be at your service twenty-fours a day for any matter you may need."

Rory was not expecting this sort of treatment. True the time she spent with her grandparents and dating Logan had it's benefits and she had learned to deal with servants. But she was still her mother's daughter and refused to allow others to do everything for her. "Thank you Mr. Zasha, and please call me Rory. I will keep your offer in mind, after I have had time to rest and freshen up." She smiled at him kindly as he led her way into the foyer of the nice apartment building. He was explaining the luxuries that the Star-Cross Tower offered, and Rory tried really hard to pay attention, but she was just in awe over how beautiful the building truly was, and how Tristan probably paid no attention to the grandeur at all.

As they were going up to the twenty-first floor, Zasha started telling her about Tristan's flat. Something about being the entire top floor, with windows being the outer walls to allow the owner to see all of the Moscow. Rory didn't remember what he said about rooms, or the balcony, because the elevator doors opened to small welcome way that opened up into large living area and the windows that did indeed allow you to see the entire city.

"Master Tristan, wished me to give you this." Zasha handed her a key. "When you enter the lift it will only go to the twentieth floor unless you insert the key. Is there anything I may do for you Ms. Rory."

Rory had just stepped into the walkway and was itching to see the big picture in front of her. "No thank you Mr. Zasha." She turned and gave him one of her thankful small smiles that only small town girls were able to give with true gratitude.

Zasha nodded at her kindly, "well good day then Ms. Rory, and please don't hesitate to call me, just press zero on the house phone." With that Rory was left alone in a strange flat in an even stranger country.

* * *

"Rory…Rory wake-up." Tristan had just walked into his Moscow Apartment and he was exhausted having worked in the early hours of the morning. Even though he tried to wrap up his work earlier in a failed attempt to welcome Rory to Russia, it was not until almost three when he called Mark to pick him up. He wanted nothing more at this moment that to crash for a few hours of needed sleep, but he wanted to check on Rory first to make sure she had a safe trip if she came at all. Having ran a successful business in Moscow did not mean that he had the time to learn the layout of his apartment, which meant that he started opening every door trying to find the one Rory could be found sleeping in. He soon found that he had three guest rooms, all of which were empty. Assuming that she did not come, Tristan walked back into the living room to turn off the reading lamp that Jeni always left on for him, the lights from the city gave him enough light to find his room, but he loved Jeni for always leaving a light on for him. As he reached the couch he saw there was his sleeping treasure, fast asleep with a book still open with a hand marking covering the page. He thought she looked beautiful and he could come home to her beauty every night, but she wasn't his, didn't want to be his, never even considered being his.

Though Rory looked comfortable on the couch, Tristan knew from experience that the huge windows let in the morning light to early for any sane person, and that she would like it better in her room, so he started to wake her up.

As she slowly came back into consciousness, she realized that Tristan was finally home. "What time is it?"

"About three-thirty."

"In the morning?"

Tristan smiled at her and gave her a hand to help her stand up. "Why didn't you go to bed?"

"I was reading and I wanted to speak with you." Rory quickly came to and remembered how angry she was with the man in front of her.

Tristan raised an eyebrow to question her or rather to give her the okay to talk to him. It was something the old Tristan would do, that it almost had Rory forgetting why she was mad at him. Almost. "We are not in Europe." She ended up yawning half way through the statement, so any anger that could have been behind it was easily erased.

"Is that why Mark was not talking to me?" Rory shrugged her shoulders and started walking towards the kitchen. "I'm sorry I lied to you, but almost everyone thinks I'm in Europe relaxing at my families Mediterranean home. If you would like to go there be my guest."

"What?" Rory asked as she took two plates out of the fridge and put them into the microwave.

"It's complicated," Tristan said with a sigh while closing the subject. "One of those plates for me?"

Rory nodded as she put the plates on the bar island that sat in the middle of the kitchen. Tristan took a seat on a bar stool while Rory took silverware out of the drawer. She was moving around his apartment with an ease that he did not even posses.

"How long have you been here?" He blurted out. Rory looked at him as she sat down with the question in her eyes. "You know more about my apartment than I do, and I've been living here for a year."

"Have you been living here or just sleeping here?" She said knowingly. Tristan focused on his food realizing she was right. "Liza, your cook, showed me where everything was as she cooked. She is really nice, even made dissert."

"She usually doesn't bother since I eat when I have too, when I am here it is more of a habit than a pleasure."

"Wait until to you see the dessert."

Tristan smiled, but let the conversation die while he ate. He watched her, though her plate was not as full as his she was obviously hungry. He had a feeling that she waited up for him and even waited, as least to a small degree, to eat with him. Maybe he should slow down at work while Rory was staying with him.

"You look like hell." She said plainly, bluntly, and completely out of the blue.

"Thanks."

"You do realize that you are human and need to get some sleep."

"I am only here two weeks ever four-to-six months. I have to take care of everything that can not be done via phone in a very short amount of time. However you are right, I am human, and now that I have the majority of the meetings and major issues taken care of, I'm pretty sure I can get at least four hours of sleep now." He said with wink.

Rory started clearing her plate and went again to the fridge to get the dessert. "I hope you like pudding."

"Pudding in Russia?"

"Liza asked what I wanted, and thus you get pudding." Again Tristan was amazed on how Rory went to the right cupboard, on the first try, and acted has if it was her apartment and he was the visitor.

"I'm glad you feel at home." He did not mean to sound as sarcastic as the statement came out sounding.

"Maybe if you spend actual time in your apartment and with your staff, you would feel at home too." Rory said in a huff as she started leaving him to his dessert.

Tristan was up before he thought and lightly grabbed her by the elbow. "Rory wait." She stopped, but waited for him to continue. "I'm sorry. I've been working to hard, and of course you are right. My staff is wonderful and I do not take the time to thank them enough. Please sit back down and enjoy your pudding." Rory nodded at his apology and returned to her pudding silently. Tristan sighed, rubbed his face and went back to his own stool and dish of pudding.

They ate in silence, put there dishes in the sink in silence and even started walking out of the kitchen and to their own bedrooms in silence, until they both decided to break it at the same time. "Rory." "Tristan."

"Goodnight Rory."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" She asked quietly before he had a chance to close himself off behind his bedroom door.

"I'll try to make it home earlier." Was all that he could give her.

She nodded, "Goodnight Tristan."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Five

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N.: I am so sorry that I did not do enough research and obviously did not pay attention during whatever class would have informed me about Russia being apart of both Europe and Asia. So I thought of my options to correct my HUGE error, rewrite the last chapter or make a correction in the future. I chose the later off the options, so for the many of you who are aware of Russia don't loose all hope on me. I have never been to Moscow and know very little, so if I am further in the wrong please let me know and I will correct my mistakes. I choose Moscow because I wanted a less cheesy or corny place for the two to be, so that ruled out the few European cities I have been too.

Oh and a BIG thanks to Spidon for helping me with the wording of the ending of this chapter

Standard Disclaimer Applies!!

****

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"Helen just said that you were planning on leaving soon. I didn't believe my ears, because unless my watched died it is only six-thirty. And that is not in the morning."

"Leave it Alexei." Tristan was trying his hardest to finish the pile in front of him before the hour was over, so he could be back at his flat before seven-thirty. He went to work before Rory woke up, and had left her a note saying that if he wasn't home before eight to eat without him. But he really did not want her to have to eat alone again. However he kept getting interrupted, first by Helen who had a few messages from Wendy. Thankfully Helen was getting along with Wendy and even commented on the girl's ability to keep up with Tristan's never ending business and social affairs. After handling those messages, a banker called in distress and now finally Tristan's best friend and business partner barged into his office trying to make jokes with him.

"Would this new want to actual leave the office have anything to do with the beautiful brunette staying with you?" Alexei knew Tristan well. They had met in college, both knowing their futures were planned out for them, and both wanting more than their parent's money as their only claim to fame.

Alexei comment about Rory had Tristan looking up quickly. He had been avoiding his best friend for weeks not wanting to tell him of the sticky situation that had unfolded in his personal life. Though the two told each other everything, Tristan did not have the courage to tell his best friend about Rory. "How did you find out about her?" It was a surprise question, the reaction Alexei wanted in order to be certain his best friend was hiding something.

"Ha, I knew you were avoiding me, but I never thought a new fling would be the reason."

"She's not a fling." Tristan sighed and motioned his friend to take a seat, while he piled his paper work and quit for the day. "Her name is Rory Gilmore."

"From Chilton?"

"Yes."

Alexei let out a low whistle. "How did this come about, I thought she was dating your rival?"

"She is, well sort of." Tristan glanced at his watched and grimaced, it was already seven. "Look Alexei, I'm sorry I kept this from you. I know once you get the whole story you won't be able to help yourself on giving me your honest opinion. Which will be, don't do it you will only get burned." Seeing that his friend was going to comment, Tristan quickly continued. "However, I don't have time to get into it all right now. Why don't you call your own beautiful gem and set up a dinner date tomorrow night for the four of us. Wasn't Calina talking about wanting to go to that new fancy restaurant with dancing or whatever?"

Seeing that, though Tristan was still not being completely honest with him yet, he was taking time to actually enjoy Moscow for once, Alexei let his lack of information slide and nodded in agreement. "She was the one that told me about Rory being at your flat. It seems that my wife cares more about your well being than I do. She was checking in to make sure your flat was livable, and was pleasantly surprised to find that you had a visitor. She actually wanted me to make sure that you knew that there was a pretty brunette living in your apartment."

Tristan smiled and actually blushed just a bit. "She arrived yesterday, and I don't think she is all that happy with me. Which is why I really have to go, I'm trying to make it back before dinner."

"Well good luck man, and I will have Calina call Rory and Helen with the details about tomorrow night."

* * *

"You made it home in time for dinner." Rory was just getting ready to head towards the kitchen and the wonderful meal that Tristan's cook had slaved over all afternoon, when Tristan entered the door. "I was just getting ready to go eat."

Tristan looked at his watch and noticed that it was closer to nine than eight. "I tried my hardest to get out early, but I had a few interruptions. Let me go change and then I will be ready to eat."

"I'll just go get everything ready." Rory prepared the normal breakfast table for a dinner for two. She was able to talk to Liza about dinner and thus it was a simple meal that Rory would only have to place in the oven for ten minutes to reheat. They choose the smaller table instead of the formal dinning table, because it was after all just going to be two people who did not normally eat at a table let alone one which seats twelve.

Tristan walked into the kitchen in kaki pants and a black polo. He was surprise to find a small dinner coming out of the oven and a table all prepared for two.

"What would you have done if I didn't make it home?"

"Ate in front on the T.V. and watch some Russian love movie or something." Rory placed the plates on the table and motioned for Tristan to dig in. He patiently waited for her to sit down so they could eat together.

"I heard you had a visitor."

Rory was only moderately surprised that Tristan knew about Calina stopping by, after all Logan knew everything even before it happened. "Yes, she wanted to make sure that you weren't living in filth. But I really think she just wanted to double check and make sure you really do have an apartment with a bed to sleep in," Rory said with a wink.

"Calina is the one that purchased this place and furnished it for me, so she is plenty aware of my living arrangements. She must of heard about you from one of her spies and wanted to see for herself if indeed I was hiding away an American beauty."

"You and she…are you…," Rory was almost too embarrassed to ask her question.

"No, heavens no. She wouldn't even look at me with Alexei standing next to me." Seeing her confusion Tristan continues, "Alexei is my best friend, a bigger player than myself when we still had time for such activities. However once he saw Calina he became a one-woman man. They got married six months ago, and now I am Calina's new mission. She wants me to be has happily married as herself and Alexei." The way Tristan's face brighten up when he talked about his friends showed Rory a new side of him, the genuine caring and loving side. It was a side that few knew about and even fewer had ever seen.

"She seemed very nice, if not a bit noisy."

Tristan smiled and even chuckled a little, but then very suddenly he got very serious as if something troubled him and drew his concern. "What did you tell her?"

Seeing that Tristan was worried about his friends, even though he had no care about hers surprised her. She gave him a semi-evil look, "Well I told her exactly what you had me tell my friends. The entire story of you being a jerk to me in high school, how you have managed to ruin the majority of my relationships, including my current one with Logan, and finally you lying to me about what part of the continent I would be visiting."

Tristan was not happy, he was actually furious. He pushed back his chair and stood up. "You told her that. Rory how could you be such a conniving bitch? What did Calina say to make you think that she would be able to handle that type of information about me. When she calls you tomorrow you will apologies, saying you were just joking and tell her anything but the truth."

He was about to walk out of the kitchen when Rory laughed. "Who do you think you are ordering me around Tristan? You show me not the tiniest bit of respect since we have met, and this last month it has been nothing but some joke to you and me because we are doing what my friends want me to do. Now for your information I will not apologies to Calina…" Rory was silenced by Tristan grabbing her by the neck and kissing her. Not a kiss of a lover but a kiss of possession. Tristan was angry, Rory was angry, and the passion between the two of them left fire in their wake. Their lips only separated enough to allow their tongues to pass thru, and their hands roomed as freely as they could manage with their bodies beating as one. Their passion lead them to the table, which one of them was attempting to clear with a spare hand.

The shattering of glass tore him off of her, like a dog called off the hunt.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Six

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N. Um…this is a little b-day gift to myself, hope you all enjoy.

Standard Disclaimer, etc...

* * *

"You guys made it!" Calina said from the bar she was waiting at while drinking a martini.

"It would seem as we did. Rory I would like you to meet my friend and business partner Alexei and his beautiful wife Calina." Alexei stood and greeted Rory with a hug and kiss on her cheek, Calina did the same, and both turned to Tristan to shake hands and offer a cheek for a greeting kiss.

"Rory I'm so glad to finally meet you, it seems you are all Calina is talking about this last day."

"I really am nothing special." Rory looked down at the dark blue cocktail dress that she had purchased earlier in the day. She wasn't planning on going out, and though she did pack a few nice clothes, she had nothing that would be appropriate for the type of restaurant Calina had explained to her over the phone.

"Nonsense, now if you two would like a drink before we are seated please order quickly." Alexei said waving off her insecurities and turning towards the bar tender.

"We're fine. Why don't we just go sit down?" Tristan was on edge. After being thrown back into reality last night, he just left Rory to return to his room. Where he did not sleep, but at least he was away from her. He never found out what she actually said to Calina yesterday or today, and he was almost scarred to find out. True Calina could take care of herself, but she was like a sister to Tristan and he did not want her image of him to be darkened by his past. She knew the big broad details of his history, but he saved her from some of his true hellion days. He left for work extra early, and returned with just enough time to shower and change before they were expected to leave for dinner. Their car ride was short and silent, either Rory was mad and brooding or just as confused as he was.

"Tristan are you paying attention to me?" It was Calina waving a hand in front of his face.

"No I'm sorry Lina, what were you saying."

"You are not at work right now Tris, so please at least pretend as if you can socialize outside of your business world," She said with a wink.

"Yes mom."

"Rory, Tristan tells me you go to Yale," Alexei said trying to cut through the obvious tension between everyone, except himself and his wife.

"That's right, I'm studying journalism."

"Wait are you the Lorelei Gilmore who is the editor of the Yale Daily News?"

Tristan looked over at Rory expecting her to be blushing, but she wasn't she was actually glowing. "The one and only, well not the only but my mom doesn't write or read, so she doesn't count." She said with a laugh. Tristan let out a slow breath, one he didn't even realize he was holding. Maybe this night would be alright.

"I've been spending my semester at Harvard, and I spend some time in the news room doing small pieces here and there. And almost every week our editor comes in screaming about how the YDN released the top news story and was up nation wide as well as on-campus popularity. He is really quite comical about the whole ordeal."

"You must be the infamous C. K.. Your pieces out do my top writers, but you didn't hear that from me." Rory said with a wink and it was Calina who was blushing now. "So you spend most of your time in the states?" She said it as a question, but what she really meant, 'but aren't you two married?' And Tristan was back to holding his breath.

"Unfortunately, unlike these two entrepreneurs I was not able to graduate early, and thus I was left behind. But you know how jealous and possessive these rich guys can get."

"I am not jealous." Both Tristan and Calina raised an eyebrow and sent Alexei a questioning look. "I was not jealous, possessive yes, but never jealous." The dual looks did not change. "Anyway Rory, I couldn't leave my Cally in the states without claiming her as my own."

"Rumor had it that we had what you Americans call a shot-gun wedding, however we just didn't want a long drawn out engagement." The two were obviously in love, no matter the time or distance they spend apart.

"Good for the two of you." Tristan again let out his held breath as the waiter served their dinner. As Calina and Alexei were busy asking the waiter about the dancing portion of the night, Rory took the time to privately talk to Tristan. "Could you please relax?!"

"How can I relax when I never know what you will say, or how my friends will take your negative position towards me."

"In case you haven't noticed I am playing nice, now let it go." She didn't even bother looking at him during their conversation and that drove Tristan even madder.

"You can't even look at me anymore when we argue."

"Not now Tristan," she said under breath and looking him right in the eyes, which almost drove him even crazier, because her eyes were so blue and filled with passion he almost kissed her again just to get to a piece of her inner passion. In high school she would retaliate with some of the best comebacks, but over the last month she was not the Rory he remembered. Sure she changed and matured, however the spark in her eyes was not as bright, still there, but not nearly as passionate as what it use to be. Maybe her passion was focused on other matters, but when they argued, her eyes were as dark as a stormy night and just as thunderous. Was he such a bad person to want to see her explode with emotions?

"Rory what was our Tris like in High school?"

Rory hit Tristan's leg under the table to warn him not to hold his breath or worry about what she will say. "Oh you know, your average King of the High School. To be honest we did not really hit it off to well, but look at us now as close as we will ever be." She meant it just has she said it, Alexei might see it the truth, but it was Calina she knew who would be fooled. The girl was smart, but she had these two men on pedestals and Rory would not be the one to bump them down.

"You must have some interesting tales to tell, anything I can use to hold over Mr. Perfects head." Alexei asked while winking at Rory.

Rory smiled and winked back, "He did play Romeo one time. Our friend Paris was obsessed with having the perfect last act. It led to a very interesting two weeks of practice and a surprising final show." Rory was smiling at the memory, sure she did not give them all the dirty details, but she was honest and Tristan was not holding his breath as much any more. "What about you two do you have any funny tales?"

"There are a few from our first year of college, but after that Tristan got to serious," Calina said with a pout.

"Now that's not fair Lina, what about at your wedding?" Tristan said with a knowing smile towards Alexei.

"That's right you did seem to have a rather good time at the wedding, but the two of you never shared that complete story."

"I don't think it is a story appropriate for our innocent ears." Calina laughed at Rory's comment and the conversation flowed until their dinner plates were taken away and music was being turned up.

"Lina would you please honor me with this dance," Tristan asked for the dance, which Lina quickly took him up on his offer.

"It would seem that your King left you with his court jester." Alexei said leaning closer into Rory.

Rory looked at Tristan's best friend and knew he was left out of the loop about what was going on. It made her wonder who Tristan was trying to protect, his friends or himself? "You are a better jester than his previous fools." She didn't want to be the one to tell Alexei that Tristan didn't want to spend time with her and actually wanted her out of his life, no she would save that privilege for the supposed king.

Alexei sighed, "Look, I'm not sure what is going on between you and my friend, but I do know whatever it is can not be what the both you of you are faking tonight. When Calina told me Tristan had a woman in his apartment I was hoping it would be someone that was making him happy. Now before you comment, no he hasn't told me anything about you and what is going on, at least not yet, because I am sure I would never agree to his decision, however, you seem like a nice girl, and I would hate to have that opinion change because you hurt my friend. Tristan might work to much and be way to serious, but he is a loyal friend and a descent man who doesn't need any more pain in his life, so tread carefully my dear."

Rory was a little taken back by Alexei defense, because Tristan never had any true friends before and to have someone that loyal and that loving of you is special. Rory grew up with a whole town filled with people like Alexei and she was glad that Tristan had finally met people who cared about him and who he could care about in return. It was Rory's turn to sigh and try to ease Alexei mind. "It's a long story, but the reason behind Tristan's behavior tonight is because we got in a fight last night when we were discussing my conversation with Calina. He doesn't think she would appreciate the truth and was worried that my lips were a little to loose when I talked to her. He should have realized by now that I was joking, but I think he is being to pig headed to realize the truth."

To her surprise Alexei laughed, "That sounds like my friend. He's very hard to joke with, once he has his mind set."

By this time the song had ended and Tristan was bringing Calina back to the table. They were both smiling and joking, but Rory could tell that Tristan still had his guard up.

"My turn Cally." Alexei was quick to his feet, whisking his wife away before she could even think to protest.

Rory looked at Tristan expecting him to ask her to dance, but he just sat down. "Are you going to ask me to dance?" She was getting mad again. Here she was eating dinner with his friends, saying only the right things, doing what he expected of her, but he was to busy brooding to notice.

"I wasn't planning on it."

She turned toward him with full on fury now. "Look at me Tristan." When he looked at her he was surprise to see her eyes so dark they looked like the blue cone of a flame. "These are your friends, I am here for you. Now I know I said some stupid things last night, but they weren't true, as you should have realized by now. You seriously can not still be concerned with me saying anything to upset your friends tonight."

"I know." He said in a whisper turning away from her.

"Then way are you acting like this?"

"Would you like to dance?"

"Stop avoiding the question."

Tristan turned back to her and honestly said to her, "Do you honestly care about me and my feelings enough to care about how I act?"

Rory was taken back, but she knew Tristan was right. This week and night was not about him at all, it was all for her or rather her friends and current/future relationship with Logan. Her instinct and mind wanted to scream yes. Two years ago she would of said yes right way, without thinking about it because she was the girl that cared about everyone's feelings and didn't want to hurt or offend anyone. But now she was different she was harder, she was an editor of a top paper, she walked on people on daily basis, and she knew how it felt to hurt people and to be hurt. Didn't she hurt her best friend the most, her mom, when she dropped out of school and stole a yacht? Looking at Tristan she wasn't sure what she felt, she wasn't sure if she really wanted to know why he was nice to her last night, well before the fight, but was now being a jerk to her. Though they may not be friends he still deserved an honest answer. "Let's just go dance."

He nodded his head at her response. Neither were sure if no answer was an answer or the closest thing to honesty either one of them wanted to admit or hear.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Seven

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N. Just enjoying a lazy Saturday, and thought others might want something to read on their lazy Saturday!

Standard Disclaimer, etc...

* * *

"Are you going out with Cally today?" 

"She wanted to show me all of the non-tourist sites, and something about the hidden shopping areas."

"When she isn't in a business suit, she is in shopping shoes. Really I think she only has two passions in life, shopping and work." Tristan said teasingly about a woman he truly admired and thought more of than another society debutant.

Rory had woken up early and was wondering around the kitchen when Tristan walked in dressed in a navy pin-strip suite, looking one hundred percent business. Rory was already on her third cup of coffee and was willing to make small talk, but it was Tristan who initiated the conversation. To Rory the feeling of moving around the breakfast table was too familiar to her, to like what she and Logan did in the mornings. Routine is what she strived on, but what her mother usually interrupted. Sure occasionally they would have a routine morning, but usually something went wrong, the car didn't start, an alarm didn't go off, no clean/appropriate clothes to wear, with Lorelei anything could happen. Tristan was about to leave when Rory realized he did not tell her anything about his plans for the day.

"Stop right there mister." Tristan stopped in the door way, portable coffee in one hand and brief case in the other. "What are you doing today?"

He looked at her like she was crazy, "Going to the office, attending meetings in different departments, and starting to implicate some of the newer ideas my team discussed last week."

"Oh…well did you want to meet us for lunch. Calina mentioned something about Alexei planning on coming."

Tristan was surprised to see Rory look of anticipation, as if she really would like him to join her for lunch. Last night they danced most of the night either together or occasionally Calina and Alexei would interrupt them to switch things up. However they did not talk, but to him the dancing meant more than just dancing. He was able to touch her, hold her, be close to her without their past interfering. In the past she was his unattainable, which had him wanting her more. Now she was right in his grasp, but still alluding him, though to his benefit he was so worried about his business he did not have time to think about a relationship let alone try to win a girl over. And Rory would defiantly have to be won.

"My schedule is different from Alexei. He has the opportunity to be here all the time and focus all his attention on one business. While I on the other hand, am being pulled in two directions, and am only available to talk to my workers face-to-face twice a year. It leaves very little time for socializing." He said this calmly, trying to explain to Rory and remind himself why he couldn't just drop everything and meet the girls for lunch. Well at least not without checking and rearranging his schedule.

"According to your friends and staff, you don't make the time to socialize." Rory was disappointed, but it was coming across more irritably than how she meant it to sound. She just thought that Tristan and herself should spend sometime getting to know each other, maybe even become friends. When they danced last night she thought it would be possible for them to be friends. Actually if she was truthful with herself she would admit that with him holding her while they dance they could have been much more than just friends. But that was not an option.

"I'm building a business from the ground up, it was not handed to me like your playboy's newspaper company." Tristan was reacting to the irritation in Rory's tone and his anger toward himself about being to businesses oriented and not taking some time off to spend with his house guest.

"That's not fair Tristan, you don't know Logan."

"Don't I?" Tristan gave her a questioning look that had Rory reconsidering her statement. "If he wanted to make more of his life than what his family wanted, he could have reached for it. He has the money and the resources. Yes I am doing what my father and grandfather wanted me to do, however I also took a part of my own heritance and along with Alexei am working at building my own business. It may be hard work and not the easy way, but I am happier now than I ever was."

Rory calmed down a bit, thinking over what he was telling her. "Your family doesn't know, that's why you told me we were going to your vacation home."

He spent his days surround by some of the smartest people in the insurance business, but it was this slip of a girl who solved the biggest mystery behind Tristan DuGrey. "You are right, however that does not changed the way things are." He sighed, but did not give Rory a chance to talk. "Now I was being serious Alexei takes some time off while I am here, but that does not mean that I can not try to meet you and Calina for lunch. Can I call you when I know if I will be able to make it?" He was being sincere. Tristan wasn't a fighter, at least not in the last few years he hadn't been. However Rory with her spontaneous mood swings and need of attention, was not bring out the best in him. Not that he felt that she meant to be that way, it was just the way she was, and her personality brought out the side of him that he thought had put on the top of his bone filled closet.

"That would be nice." She had given in, something Tristan was sure was rare for her to do. But it was nice to know that she was able to compromise when needed. She walked with him to the door and held it has he situated his coat, briefcase and coffee.

He was just about to leave without another word when he was compelled to say something, "Rory…" He stopped not knowing what else to say.

Rory looked at him, and he could tell that she understood. There was something to be said but neither of them knew what it was. He felt the need to show her some sort of affection, but he was afraid that by kissing her, even on the forehead, would lead to more awkward moments. Resigning to the fact that nothing could be said he nodded and started to walk out the door.

"Don't forget to call." She said quietly as the elevator opened. He turned and nodded at her again to show that he wouldn't forget to give her a call later that morning.

Rory was at a lost. Her world was again changing, and just like all the other times she was not handling the change well. In high school, well at Chilton, Rory thought she had all of her classmates figured out. They were all spoiled rich kids, who were never left wanting anything. Paris was the first to change her opinion, when she let Rory see how much her drive for school and Harvard was really a drive to finally get her parents attention. Louis and Madeline were a different story or an entire different world, but Rory's first opinion or judgment changed with time, especially by seeing how close they stuck to Paris, and not just because Paris allowed them to copy her homework and notes. Her opinions of the others changed too, but it was all the same, parents never there, no one cares about me, etc., etc., so forth. Tristan was another story, she judged him, but that opinion never had the chance to fully change. Sure there were times when she thought maybe there was more to him, but then he would do something stupid, like assuming she would go to concerts with him or break into safes. Now she wasn't sure what to think of him. He wasn't the same guy, not even close, she was at a lost.

* * *

"That purse is amazing. I can't believe you are going to be giving it away."

"A gift for my mother, which I will promptly borrow after three weeks and just happen to forget to return for another month or two."

"If that's the case can I then borrow it from you?"

"No." The two new friends were sitting in an outdoor café, drinking coffee, and waiting for Alexei to join them.

"When did he say he would be able to join us?" Rory said looking down at her watch and seeing that it was already twelve thirty.

"Twelve, which means one in the business world; I'm sorry that Tristan isn't able to join us." Calina said with a small frown. Rory waited all morning for a call from Tristan, but by eleven she had given up and took the assumption that he would not be joining them for lunch.

"Okay time for some random questions to kill time." Calina gave Rory a questioning look, but shrugged her shoulders to show that she was up for anything. "I noticed last night that Tristan calls you Lina, but Alexei calls you Cally, why?"

Calina's face lit up as she realized Rory's question was random but friendly. "I go by Lina, much like you go by Rory, however Alexei decided that he did not like calling me what everyone else called me. And he always gives me kalillies as presents, and says a kalillie for his Cally. I asked Tris about it once and he explained how a unique nickname forms a connection between a couple, something for just the two of them to understand."

"Like calling me Mary," Rory whispered to herself as she thought of Lina and Alexei's love, and what Tristan told Lina about nicknames.

"What about Mary?" Lina said with a questioning look."

Rory looked at her in surprise, "Nothing, just mumbling to myself."

"Look Tris, do you think those two lovely ladies will allow us to join them?"

Hearing this very loud whisper both women looked up to see both Alexei and Tristan leaning against the fence surrounding the café tables and smiling at them.

"Tristan what a happy surprise, Rory said you would not make it." Lina's face lit up when she saw her two favorite were men present, Rory however was surprised and a little upset, though she did not know why she was upset to see Tristan.

"Actually I said he will call if he was able to join us." Rory said plainly.

Tristan was about to explain when Alexei beat him to the punch, "I took matters into my own hands and changed his entire schedule. I thought it was time for Tris to actually see the city he started his multi-million company in."

"It is not multi-million yet." Tristan said as they joined the women at the table.

"But it will be soon." Calina said excitedly while kissing Alexei lightly on the lips.

Rory couldn't help but join in the good nature of the afternoon. She had a wonderful time shopping and making friends with Lina all morning and Alexei's natural good humor reminded Rory of Tristan when he was younger and more teasing. As she smiled over at Tristan she saw that he was smiling, but she could tell that something was not quite right with his good sprite.

The gentlemen asked the girls about their shopping and both started laughing and explaining all their good finds and the tricks they played on the shopping attendants. They set a general rule of no cell phones until their plates were clear, which gave them plenty of time to talk and laugh together.

Tristan was excited that Rory seemed to get along with Calina so well, but was still not sure why this should make him happy. This week was proving to cause Tristan so many emotional instabilities he thought he was back in high school.

"Now Rory as a special favor to you," Rory gave Alexei a questioning look because she did not ask him for a favor. "I have informed Tristan's secretaries that he is in a private meeting all day and is not to be disturbed."

"Alexei, I had important meetings today." Tristan said getting upset with his suppose best friend.

"Yes and I will be attending those meeting while you entertain your house guest. You are suppose to be on a semi-vacation, so relax for an afternoon."

"Tristan, we can go see the Kremlin and Kuskovo Estate." Rory said quietly, almost shyly, while looking him in the eyes for once.

It took him two seconds to put work behind him and agree to travel around Moscow with Rory. They were soon finished eating and the table was being cleared of their plates. All four of them reached for their cell phones and checking for miss calls, however before Tristan could see his Calina took his phone right out of his hands.

"I will take this, since Alexei will be in meetings all day I can help out by keeping an eye on your phone." Seeing that Tristan was about to interrupt, Lina quickly started explaining. "Don't worry Tris, I have Rory's number and if an important call comes through I will let you two know. Now we should get back to the office, you two enjoy your afternoon." Lina and Alexei stood and with a quick waves and good byes left Rory and Tristan to tour Moscow.

"I'll call Mark and ask him to come pick us up." Rory said while starting to search through her contact list on her cell phone. "By the by is Mark talking to you yet?" Rory said with a big smile on her face.

"As a matter of fact he is, what did you do?" Tristan said while leaning back and actually looking more relaxed.

Rory gave him one of her small mischievous looks, which screamed how not innocent she really was. "Nothing," Tristan looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "well almost nothing." Tristan was about to ask her more, when he heard Mark's voice on the other end of the phone. "Hi Mark, would you be able to pick myself and Master Tristan up in the town car? ... We will be waiting at the café… See you soon."

"He likes you more than he likes me." Tristan said with a fake frown.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think all of your servants like me more than you." Rory's face was as bright as the California sun, and Tristan was soaking in her rays. "Now I think we should visit the Kremlin first, though I am going to ask Mark what he would suggest.

"We have a plan, now we just need the ride."


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Eight

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N. Please just be happy that I posted another chapter instead of yelling at me for taking so long!!

Standard Disclaimer, etc...

* * *

The late afternoon air was crisp, the sun was blazing over the horizon, a perfect time to be walking the streets of Moscow. While most major cities have parks filled with hustling and bustling, the small park belonging to Star-Cross Tower was calm and inspiring.

"Something has been bugging me since you arrived in Russia." They were walking along the 'Star Lit Path', a path that Tristan knew would be lit by small lights in the cement when night fell. Though they were walking next to each other, they were not touching. Their afternoon had been lovely, visiting some of the known and unknown spots of Tristan's second home. Between Mark and Zasha they were shown parts of Moscow, the city's citizens don't even know about. With all the sightseeing they were able to talk on many different and yet safe topics. They were careful to stay clear of any topic, such as Logan or why they were together in Moscow, in order to retain the peace that easily fell between them during their day of exploring.

Rory could tell that Tristan was relaxing and starting to show his true colors to her. Though he was not the cocky boy she knew at Chilton, he was not the stiff business man she had re-met just six weeks ago. He was well educated but not cocky, witty but not corny, sarcastic but not hurtful, he was different and yet the same person she always knew was behind his Hartford mask.

"What is that?" Rory said turning her head slightly to look up at him and could tell that he was pondering over something.

"Where are all of your books?"

"What do you mean?" She did not know how to respond to the blank question he asked.

"You always had at least three books with you in high school. You even showed up to a party with a book in your handbag." They had stopped walking and Tristan reached for the small hand bag which Rory had been carrying all day. "This is not big enough to hold _The Christmas Carol_ let alone _War and Peace_. So where are your books?"

"I have one at the apartment, but I didn't think to carry one with me today." She replied while turning to start walking again. Rory was a bit offended by Tristan's question, but didn't know exactly why.

"Just today or did you kick the habit." He said with a smile, however since her back was to him she did not see he was joking.

Rory swung around and with her hands on her hips said, "I am the editor of an ivy league newspaper, a semester behind in classes, and a journalist major, I read more than any sane person, just because I don't have a book on me at all times does not mean that I stopped reading."

Tristan was surprised by the sudden defensiveness that overwhelmed Rory, and though his initial reaction was to also be defensive he took a small step back as if he was retreating. "I'm sorry Rory, I was just kidding around."

Seeing how genuine he was Rory sighed, ran her hands through her hair and looked up at the half red half navy sky. "I'm sorry to, with the whole restarting school and getting my life back in order I have been a bit touchy with the whole 'used to be' issue."

"I think we can both agree that we are not who we used to be." Rory looked him in the eye and gave him a small nod. "But that does not mean we have changed completely. You loved to read and learn, seeing you now without a book, is like seeing the Mona Lisa without her smile. I just thought you were hiding a book in your coat or something."

Tristan was started to see Rory's eyes light up in realization. "I do have a book in this coat." She started going through her pockets until she pulled out a small, well warn book. She tossed the book to Tristan with a big smile lightening up her entire face including her eyes, which were a sparkling bright blue.

He caught it with ease, but looking over it he did not see what was so special about the obvious self-published manuscript. "Jess Mariano? Never heard of him." He said looking back up at her.

"Jess was my second boyfriend."

"Another Stars Hollow sunshine boy?" He started looking through the pages and noticed the comments along the edges and the selected parts that were carefully underlined. "I never notice you writing in a book before."

"I didn't, well not until college. But that's not the point. My mom said that everyone needed a bad boy and Jess was mine. He was nothing like Dean, and yet exactly what I needed. He let me be me, he understood Stars Hollow was my home, even though he thought the entire town should be institutionalize. This is his first book and it is magnificent. Though he tells me I am biased." Tristan looked at the book then raised his eyebrow at her. "Okay so I am a bit biased, but I know writing and the book in your hand has the potential to be a best seller."

"Hardly any book worth reading was a best seller when it is first published."

"That's what I keep telling him." He handed the book back to her, and she flipped through a few pages as they started to walk. Tristan watched her smile at the book before putting it back in her pocket. This was the first time they had really talked about the past without arguing, which gave Tristan hope. Maybe they could open up and talk about what was really between them before she left in two days.

"Since you asked me a question about my past, I get to ask you one about yours." Rory said without looking up at him. He could see the wheels turning in her head, she must have more than one question she wanted answered.

After giving her a minute to ask him a question, he laughed, "Okay Ms. Star Reporter, shouldn't you be able to ask a question within milliseconds."

She glared at him, "I want to word this right." He nodded and continued to wait. It was another minute before she said, "What changed Junior year?" He raised an eyebrow asking her to be more specific. "You were always cocky and a jerk, but junior year you were mean and seemingly trying to get in trouble. Why, what happened for you to seek negative attention?"

It was Tristan's turn to sigh and run his hands through his hair. A gesture they shared when they were about to face something they knew would be upsetting. Rory waited patiently for him to collect his thought and look back to four years earlier.

"A lot was going on in my family all of which was hidden from the public. Let's be clear about one thing as I talk about my past, I am not using it as an excuse, it's what happened and how I dealt with all the pain I was filling at the time. I've since grown from the boy I was back then, and have learned from my mistakes." He needed her to know and understand what happened back then was his choice no matter how he painted the picture.

"You sound like a therapist." She said in a small and clear attempt to let him know she was joking with him as well as understanding what he was saying. It's not like she hasn't made some bad decisions over the last few year, and though she would of liked to blame everything and everyone around her, those decisions were made by her and she was the one forced to face the consequences.

"Actually I flirted with the therapist to much for her to be any good. It was my captain at military school, my grandpa, Lina and Alexei, who finally got through my think skull, that I was using everything as an excuses when in reality I alone was making all the decisions that lead to me being sent to military school and not being happy with my life."

They had stopped walking and sat down on a small bench near a fountain. They were both facing the fountain as their conversation progressed, however with it being early spring the fountain was not running.

"I understand. What was happening with your family?" She asked plainly.

"My grandfather had a series of heart-attacks along with all the fun heart surgeries and therapy that follows such cases. He was in the hospital most of that year, with my grandmother never leaving his side. You might not know but I am closer to my grandfather than my own father, so seeing him so sick was hellish. My grandfather is, well similar to yours, tall, well built, not over weight just…, he is well my hero in more ways than one. And then one day he was old, thin, deadly white. No where near the man I grew up worshipping and playing with, I was not prepared to see him like that, let alone being told the next months would determine if he would survive." Rory took his hand remembering the time she too saw her grandfather in the hospital and forever having that magnificent image of him skewed. He took her hand in comfort but just kept staring into the past. "My already absent father took over the family business completely, so I was seeing him even less. And then Liza was admitted to the hospital." He shook his head as if he regretted the memory.

"Who is Liza?" Rory was following him, she remembered hearing her grandfather talk about Tristan's, but she had no idea who Liza was in relation to the man remembering the most pain part of his life.

"Liza is my baby sister. She is two years younger, she went to a different private school to be closer to her best friends. But she was nothing like me, more of an opposite. I tried to protect her from people like me, I figured with her at Chilton I would be able to keep on protecting her, she swore to me that she would be fine without me, but she wasn't, she barely survived her freshman year." Tristan was close to tears, he had to remind himself that Liza was happily at Princeton right now, rooming with Calina and enjoying spending time with her new boyfriend.

"What happened to her?" Rory saw how hurt Tristan was just remembering, she could tell that at the time this was happening to him Tristan's world was falling around him, but she needed to know how he felt at that time. He obviously cared that his family was hurting, but how did that relate to his decision to break into a safe?

"If you asked her, she would tell you that she was just a typically rich girl that fell into a depression. She laughs it off, and though I don't think she should, she reassures me that she has dealt with what happened to her and is now happy." Tristan gave the fountain a small smile at the thought of his sister, but shook his head. "What those who did not know Liza before high school don't realize or know is that she was never a typically rich girl. She was shy and quite, but extremely happy. She loved going to all of mom and grandma's events, but mostly because it made them happy, she was the first person to please everyone, and the last to think of herself first. That's why I can't just say she was simply depressed. Going into high school I prepared her for some of the types of students she would meet, but not every aspect. After all I didn't want her to see my true school colors." He said that with a frown. "I should have told her more about how cruel the boys could be, within the first week she was an object of a playboy's attention. And though deep down I know he did not mean for everything to go down like it did, he was a major cause of the effects. Liza wanted to please him, and did almost anything he asked her too. She thought his friends were her friends, and when he smiled, he smiled just for her, nothing could be further than the truth. She was just an innocent in his eyes, a toy to be played. By the time Liza realized the truth of her suppose perfect boyfriend, she had been drinking heavily, had been known to use a few drugs, and when her rose covered glasses broke she soon followed. Liza caught him sleeping with her suppose best friend, the one that she went to the school for, she reacted by walking away, taking a bottle of vodka and a container of pills she found somewhere. My mom found her four hours later, she had driven home, but never made it out of the car. Liza was admitted first to the ER, and then into the psychiatric floor."

Through out his tale Rory turned and watched his face as he talked, he continued to stare at the fountain. She had wrapped both her hands around his one, giving him all the support she could in a single gesture.

"Mom spent a lot of time with her, helping her recover, helping her grow stronger and get her mind and body back into control. She was heartbroken and had to learn at a young age the truth behind the elite social class. I told you she was not like me, I would have taken her pain if I could but as it was I couldn't do anything. I was only able to see my sister and grandfather for short visits throughout the week, that's why I started skipping classes. The times I was allowed to visit were during class times. But I couldn't tell anyone because that would shame the family. Then I started getting into trouble, more correctly I made friend with the wrong two people. You weren't the only one who tried to warn me and to tell me wise up, but they seemed to need me, or anyone who had more brains than them combined. In reality they needed my name and immunity from the law than me personally. I was stupid, and I disappointed my entire family by hanging around those two trouble makers. Telling my sister that I would not be able to visit for a while was hard, since she was already feeling abandoned by people she thought loved her, but my tears proved to her how sorry I was to be leaving her, but she had mom to help her get better. My grandfather was disappointed, though I think he could foresee how being away would change me for the better. And it did. At first I wasn't allowed to talk to my family, but my father and mother changed that since Liza wanted to be reassured that I still loved her, and my grandfather wanted to make sure I was surviving." Tristan smiled at the memory of some of the conversations with his grandfather while he was in North Carolina, how much they would laugh and joke, even though the timing was somewhat inappropriate. He sighed and finally looked down at the brunette at his side. "My family means a lot to me, though my father might not be the best father, my family as a whole as never stopped loving me." Seeing how serious he was when talking about his family, Rory nodded in understanding and agreement. "Thankfully my grandfather had a full recovery and is now happily retired in Florida and Athens. And Liza is living with Calina, attending Princeton, and has a new boyfriend that she reassures me is the nicest guy she has every meet, besides me of course."

Rory smiled, and hugged his arm in a gesture neither of them really understood. "You could have told me, back then, I would have understood probably better than most." She said honestly.

Tristan sighed and shook his head in a negative gesture. "I was more obnoxious then, to the point you flat out said you hated me. Not to mention you were having your own problems with your boyfriend. You might not of said much, but I could tell that you were not always happy with Dean, and I tried to use that to finally get you to go on a date with me, it was stupid to try to play on your weakness like that, I know better now."

"No, I never hated you, usually annoyed, but I only said I hated you because I thought Dean made me happy. When we were broken up I was hurting, and instead of realizing that I should move on, I went right back into his arms. I'm not saying that I regret my first attempts at a relationship, I just know better now what I was truly feeling in the past." She took a deep breath, looked him in the eye, and said, "I think if things would have been different, I would have gone to that concert with you. We could have been friends. But the way you approached the situation was not the way to attract me, and the boy and girl we were back then are not the man and woman we are today." She was dead honest and only a few inches away from him, he bent his head slightly and kissed her lips gently, in a way of intimacy, but not dominance or emergency. If he wouldn't have initiated the kiss she would have, however he pulled away from her before either of them could react to the feelings they felt when their lips touched.

"Thank you for today, it was a pleasure to see Moscow with you." Tristan said softly, their faces still close enough Rory could feel his breath on her face.

"We could spend more time together, if you would like." She said in hope of showing him that though in the beginning this was all about a name, now she really did want to get to know the older, wiser Tristan.

"Why don't we go back up to the apartment, and wait and see what tomorrow brings."


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Mary or Mary'ed: Chapter Nine

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Summery: What was once thought to be just a silly nickname, causes a dramatic turn in a Gilmore's life.

A.N. Since I successfully finished my first time teaching, I have time to post!! Enjoy! oh and this is my correction to the Euro-Asia thing!!!!

Standard Disclaimer, etc

* * *

"Oh daughter of mine, I am lost without you." 

Rory rolled her eyes, but also laughed at her mothers over exaggeration. "Because the few days I have been away is so different from when I am at school?"

"Yes."

"Sorry I doubted you."

"I forgive you. So why are you calling me, I thought we were going cold turkey this week?"

"I need advise."

"Like does Brittany look better with Justin or K-Fed, or like will Renee's weight vary for her next motion picture?"

"The former." The Gilmore language is not suppose to be understood by anyone, not even the Lorelei's could really explain their comments and references, just being able to talk Gilmore again made these two women happier than the discoverer of chocolate. The mother daughter connection is so strong between this duo, that when Rory realized she was in a predicament her mother would be the only one able to listen to her and give her advice.

"I predicted something like this would come up." Lorelei said as she started restacking books in the Dragon Fly's Library.

"You did?" Rory was also wondering around a library, but it was part of Tristan's apartment and held only a limited selection of books.

"Of course, I am your mother after all." Rory rolled her eyes because she knew her mother wouldn't be able to see her. "Let me elaborate."

"Oh would you please."

"Why yes I will. When you first went to Chilton, you wanted to attend the school, but wanted your life to remain in Stars Hallow. You were not concerned with making friends, and since you were already starting to crush on Dean you were not looking for a relationship. Frankly you went to school there and that was it."

"I had friends at Chilton." Rory tried to defend her time spent at the Hartford prep school.

"Yes, but not at first, it took time for you to warm up to your peers and them to you."

"I was voted Vice-President, and brought in more votes than Paris."

"Stop going all…"

"I'm sorry. I just have been on edge lately."

"You're forgiven. But what I was trying to explain is that you did not even consider dating Tristan or getting to know him beyond the shallow part he showed you in the halls. If Dean hadn't been there, if you were actually more apart of the social elite, you may have seen the façades most of your classmates wore at school and thought about dating one or two of them to learn their true characters. Remember how we discussed how you never dated, well that dating would most likely of happened with a few Chilton-knights. But since you were only in serious relationships during high school, you never gave any of them a chance to meet you and you them."

Rory sighed, "You're right, but mom I think Tristan has really changed since Chilton, even if I would have dated him then, the man he has become is more mature and harden by life."

"You've heard your grandpa's stories, he was once a fun loving guy, but life turned him into a harder man. And before you yell at me for talking about my father like that, he was way worse before his late-life crisis and being closer to retirement."

"Okay. Do you really think I would have dated the boy that made parts of my first days at Chilton a living hell?"

"He also was the one who would help open your locker and you know what they say about teasing."

"True, and no I don't know."

"Uh…you know they say that one thing." Lorelei said while moving her hand in a rolling motion as if the motion alone would help her think of the saying.

"No they don't."

"Yes they do it is really metaphorical."

"That's with assuming not teasing."

"Assuming, no it was defiantly teasing. Ugh I will think of it later." She said with a huff.

"Mom what am I going to do?"

"As far as I can tell, Logan pretty much broke up with you, so you had the freedom to date Tristan, and you are spending an exclusive and very private week with him. So take the time to get to know him, it seems like you are already learning more about him." Knowing her daughter was ready to protest, Lorelei kept talking at her normal fast rate. "Give him a chance, give a friendship with him a chance. Don't think about Yale, or your suppose boyfriend, and go out on some dates with Tristan like you were suppose to do all along."

"Mom won't that be cheating on Logan."

"Honey he won't even answer his phone, obviously he doesn't really care."

"He loves me."

"I'm not saying he doesn't, I'm just saying that for whatever the reason he obviously thinks you and Tristan need to take care of this high school Mary business. And I'm defiantly not saying jump into bed with bible boy, just stop thinking about your time in Asia…"

"Actually Moscow is in Europe."

"But Russia is an Asian country?"

"It's more like a quarter European and three-fourths Asian, but the majority of the population lives in the Euro part."

"But in all those texts you were freaking out about being in Asia?"

"In my sleep deprivation and all ready upset state of mind, I had a brain freeze and forgot. And all those nice people that heard me freaking out just kept smiling and nodding. When I woke up, downed four cups of coffee, I realized my mistake, and started making apologies."

"So you are on the Continent?"

"Yes."

"Stop trying to change the subject. Take this time you have in Euro-slash-Asia to get to know Tristan, and though I am not on Logan or Tristan's Top Favs, I do want you to be happy and I want you to be sure on your decision."

"He's running his own business."

"Who is?"

"Tristan, he said he wanted more than his parent's money and so he, along with his best friend, started their own company. Logan just complains and whines about having to run newspapers."

"Is Tristan happy?"

"When I talked to him that first time on the phone and he thought I was his mother he sounded happy, and occasionally I can tell certain parts of his life make him happy, but I just seem to upset him."

"Maybe he is just frustrated with the whole situation? You are after all only there because of some tradition and your boyfriend, who we must remember is his Mr. Wickham, will not talk to you until you tolerate his presence. Plus we Gilmore's love to have complicated relationships. A few rows never hurt any relationship, well not these types of rows. Just start being yourself and get to know his true self."

"That's the reason behind this phone call. He took sometime off, well he was sort of forced into taking sometime off, and we spent the afternoon sight-seeing."

"Obviously you had a good time."

"The Tristan I was with yesterday, was filled with life, worry free, excited to see the underskirts of his second home, he was…"

"Everything you would hope for in a man?"

"I guess. It was just a different side, a side of him that felt like his true side. I'm not saying that he's not the stiff business man, but the way he acted yesterday seemed like how he would act if he was given the time to relax. Like who he would be if I crossed paths with him while walking the streets of Hartford. Do you get it?"

"So can I start calling you Beauty?"

"No, but you can call Tristan, Beast."

* * *

"Okay I think I have been patient enough. Rory Gilmore shows up at your apartment in Moscow, you don't tell me about it, I manage to get you an afternoon off to spend with said Gilmore, which you also don't talk about, but now Helen seeks me out because you have been distracted all day, which means that our future multimillion dollar company is on the line. So you better start talking or I am calling Liza." 

It was going on two o'clock, and Tristan was staring at the same folder of paper work that his secretary handed him with his morning cup of coffee. Alexei barge in, was semi-expected and yet Tristan jumped when the door swished and his best friend called attention to himself.

Yesterday had been wonderful, he was finally able to relax around Rory, and therefore able to not only enjoy the beautiful views of his second home but also her company. This whole "de-marrying" thing was not sitting well for him, and he desperately wanted to talk about the situation with Alexei, but something kept holding him back until he had something more to tell than 'I was a jerk in high school and now I am a hypercritic.'

"Sit down, and don't call Liza 'cause I will be having this conversation with her as soon as I get back to the States." Tristan was talking in his normal voice, but his best friend could hear the mix of confusion, distraction, and a hint of sadness in his tone. "You know a little bit about Rory."

"I knew two details until the other night. You went to Chilton together and she is dating Hutzberger."

"She was my 'Mary'." Tristan said shamefully.

"What? You said you didn't have a 'Mary'." Alexei was beyond surprised that Tristan of all people gave a girl the title of 'Mary' while in High School.

"It wasn't like that, well I never really planned on how it would be, but I never wanted to use or hurt her. She came to Chilton my sophomore year and I had just been give the title of 'King'. The Rory you met is not like the Rory of Chilton, she is a small town girl and at the time was innocent as could be, but she did not want anything to do with the Hartford elite who were her new peers. In fact she hated the attention I gave her, because it forced others to also pay her attention." Tristan took a deep breath and forced his hands to stay at his side instead of going into his hair and hold his head. "I was cocky back then, I thought I could do and say some of most obscure things in order to get her to go out on a date with me, even after I found out she had a boyfriend back home."

"Did you ever manage to get a date with her?"

Alexie watched as his friends mind went back to his high school years, and a small half smile crossed his face. "No, I wasn't even close to her type back then, and Rory was more like her mother than she gave herself credit for. She did kiss me once, but I managed to screw that up."

"That doesn't explain why she is here?"

"Hutzebereger and his friends found out that she was labeled a Mary, but never got the chance to be 'de-mary'-ed. Since then he has been very adamant about taking care of the tradition."

"The kiss?"

"It was amazing, but it doesn't count. Traditionally you have to go on a date, or at least attend a party together. The kiss was private, I never told anyone about and she might have forgotten."

"Is this why you kept canceling and rescheduling dinner plans?"

"Yeah, we were trying to find a night to go to dinner together, but our schedules are opposite. Finally I looked up her spring break, saw that it corresponded with my trip here, and with a little tooth pulling convinced her to come to Europe with me and get this Mary episode concluded."

"How did her boyfriend take all this?"

"Apparently he is refusing to talk to her?"

"Rory hasn't asked why?"

"If he's not talking, then it is not my place to explain."

"Okay so that explains her presence, why avoid telling me."

"You would have told me to leave the past behind me."

"Damn Right!"

"It's not just my past, it's hers too. You should of heard Rory that first time she called me, actually I should of heard her, because she can rant and it turned out that she ranted on Wendy…"

"Your new secretary?"

"Yes. But Wendy held her own and just took a message. Helen said to hear Wendy tell the story Rory was pissed off and ready to come kill me, instead of waiting for me to get the message. I think the whole Rory ordeal is what finally got Helen to work with a new girl in the office."

"Speaking of Helen she said we need to admit you into the hospital, what has you so distracted?"

"I think I am falling in love with Rory Gilmore, again."

"Oh, well, that would explain nothing at all." Alexei said plainly.

The two of them sat in companionable, yet awkward silence for a few minutes until Tristan sighed deeply. "She's amazing you know, she has changed, but still holds all of the appeals that first attracted me to her seven years ago. But something is off, like she isn't happy anymore."

Alexei thought back over the two times he spent with Rory and how she presented herself to him. "At dinner she seemed happy to be talking about her accomplishments, but she was obviously annoyed at you."

"She played the Calina card. I was worried she leaked to Lina about the reasoning Rory was at my apartment, we fought, and then I was on edge during dinner."

"You know my wife does not need to be protected all the time." Alexei said seriously.

Tristan gave his best friend an as-if look, "Right, so let me just call you beautiful wife and tell her what all went down at her wedding." Tristan didn't even bother fake calling her, because both of them knew how much they were willing to hide from the main female in their lives.

Alexei sighed and gave Tristan a glare. "You know what I mean. Cally would of handled the situation with ease and grace." A retained laugh came out of Tristan. "Okay well she would of done something not to embarrassing."

"The way Rory told me about what she supposedly told her, it just set me off. She was acting like the people she was so dead set not being in high school. Rory was never the type to be mean or hurt peoples feelings, and yet there she was lying to me."

"You had your defenses up, so she had hers. Don't try to deny it, because if you think about it I am right." Alexei saw Tristan realize how much he spoke the truth. "You can't blame her for retorting in a sarcastic manner, when that is your top way of guarding yourself from harm."

"I need to make some apologies." Tristan said while taking out his PDA.

"So what's the plan of action? Romantic trip to Paris? Dinner in Italy? Broadway Musical? I think I could get you tickets to the premier of the new Brad Pitt movie." Alexei asked while still thinking of some really good first date options.

"Nothing like that," Tristan said plainly while starting to look through his contact list on his phone.

"But those would be very impressionable first dates, those would be awesome dates, dates that I should of taken Calina on."

"They won't work on a Gilmore."


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Mary or Mary'ed : Chapter Ten

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG

Authors Note: Busy month, finals, graduations, sister's wedding, and now moving.

Hint: There are two things Tristan does for Rory that has meaning beyond the story.

* * *

"He does know that I am leaving in the morning?"

"Yes Ms. Gilmore I informed him of your departure time this morning."

"How did he react Helen?"

"I'm sorry Ms. Gilmore?" The secretary said as if she could not give that information to the disappointed young women on the other end of the phone.

"What was his reaction? Was he sad, happy? Help a girl out here."

"I'm sorry Ms. Gilmore, but I am not paid to judge his reactions. Now do you have a message for Mr. DuGrey?"

Rory sighed and gave up on getting anything out of Tristan's strict secretary, "Would you ask him to please make it home in time for supper?"

"Yes, mama."

"Thank-you."

Helen closed her phone and looked over at her smirking employer. "She would like you to be home in time for dinner."

"Can we fit that into my schedule?"

"Since you rearranged your entire day, I think so. Now I asked Zasha to send up the Jonquil's in approximately two minutes, and Mark will be picking her up in an hour."

"Good, that will give her time to get ready. Alexei, how did those favors go?" Tristan said while heading towards his personal changing room to get himself ready to leave the office.

"Everything is going as planed or rather not planned. Are you sure you don't just want to fly off to Athens? The jet can be ready in thirty minutes." Alexei said, since he still had doubts in his best friends plan.

"Athens won't work. Now go you have to sit in some of those meetings for me." Tristan said while closing the door on his best friend and secretary.

"How did he get you to go along with this?" Alexei asked Helen.

"He promised me two more weeks of vacation." Helen said with her own evil smirk.

"Figures you get time off while I just get more work." He rolled his eyes and headed out to his newly scheduled meeting, leaving Helen to make sure everything starts off smoothly for Tristan.

* * *

Rory received the bouquet of daffodil looking flowers, at the exact moment she opened her lap top to start working on the remaining studying and reviewing she had yet to complete. Her first few days in Moscow were spent entertaining herself with a mixture of touring the city and taking the time to complete her projects and other school work she had scheduled to work on over her spring break. She had remained in contact with most of her head reporters to make sure the newsroom was being run smoothly in her absents, and Logan e-mailed her copies of the paper layout. However he did not add any non-newspaper related messages to the few e-mails he sent. Of course her last couple days in the Russian city were spent spending time with her new acquaintances and Tristan. Rory feared she would be spending her last day alone in the apartment, though the arrival of the flowers changed her apprehension into anticipation.

Not knowing what the flowers represented, Rory was unsure of how to react to their presences, until she read the card.

When Mark arrived to pick her up, Rory was ready for whatever her Romeo had in store.

But he wasn't in the limo, and they didn't stop to pick him up, in fact Mark had stopped the limo and was letting her out without even a mention of Master DuGrey.

As she stepped out of the limo, she found herself standing in front of an old, unremarkable, abandoned building. If she had any doubt in Mark's knowledge of the city or of his loyalty to Tristan, she would have questioned him on if he was sure this was the right place. Since the building was far from welcoming she was unsure where to go or what she was supposed to do now that she was out of the limo.

Seeing her uncertainty, Mark smiled and pointed to the buildings boarded up entry way. Rory gave him a questioning small smile, he nodded, so she took a deep breath and headed into the abandoned building with as much dignity as a Gilmore Girl possessed.

As she tentatively pushed opened the door, she heard Mark get back into the limo, but she stopped herself for turning to look back at him, instead she continued into the mysterious old building. At first there was nothing to remarkable, just an old entry way, with another entrance series of doors leading into the buildings interior. These doors were not boarded as the ones she had just passed through; in fact the new doors were perfectly clean however they were tinted so she could still not see what lay on the other side.

Rory took another deep breath, but instead of air entering her lungs she just got a cloud of dust. Before she could open the doors in front of her she was consumed with a coughing attack. After she was able to clear her lungs, she started contemplating why she was dropped off at this dust heap and when will Tristan show up. She waited about two minutes to see if he would walk in behind her, but her Romeo didn't appear and thus she was forced to enter what she could only assume to be the last of the barriers keeping her from whatever this afternoon held for her.

Slowly she pushed open the double doors, she didn't look at first since she was afraid of what she would find. However her ears picked up a strangely familiar melody, one she was sure she knew but had know idea of why. Rory slowly opened her eyes and allowed them to adjust to the dim lighting. What she beheld were rich colors of velvets and golds, the walls were covered with picture frames holding old movie posters, the music she remembered hearing at the Stars Hollow Black and White Theater, and most importantly there was a popcorn stand with a waiting attendant.

"Ms Gilmore, how may I help you with your movie substance selection?"

Rory's face lit up in excitement, her heart's desires were being laid out in front of her. All around the counter was every type of movie night delights her mother and herself had ever dreamed of, and she had no idea where to start. She stood in front of the counter thinking over the different groupings and options of the array of movie candy she had at her disposable.

"Is there anyway that I can get a sample of everything?" Rory said looking over the different chocolate candies. Not only did the popcorn stand have all the regular name-brand candy, but it also a variety of original candies in different types of candy jars. To Rory it was looking over Taylor's Soda Shop, Doe's Market Candy Isle, and her mothers candy cupboard all at the same time.

"Anything you wish Ms Gilmore." The attendant started scooping and mixing all the different types of candies onto a try for his special customer.

Rory was unable to withhold her excitement, and started doing a classic Gilmore Girl happy dance. "Make sure you mix the gum drops with chocolate covered peanuts. And don't forget the nachos with extra cheese, or the popcorn with extra butter."

The Rory's personal candy man was laughing as he mixed the different sugary delights. He could never remember having so much excitement while pleasing a consumer of his movie going goods.

"I do believe we have a selection worthy of the gods. Would you care for anything else Ms. Gilmore?"

"No friend, I think this is a perfect selection of your offerings. Now can you direct me in whatever direction I am to go to next?" Rory asked the friendly candy man.

"Ms. Gilmore if you would please follow me." Rory turned around, carefully in order to keep all her candy in her arms, to see another attendant dressed in the classic movie theater attendant apparel. He was in a slight bow stance, with one arm across his mid-section and the other extended towards a door.

"Of course," Rory started towards the man, which immediately moved to open the door for her. Once she was inside, she was able to view an old theater, only all of the normal movie seats were replaced with booths and couches, for a more cozy and intimate viewing experience.

"Right the way Ms. Gilmore." The attendant ushered Rory to the middle of the theater where a low table was set up with a candle, pizza, Chinese food, and plenty of extra space for all of her chosen candy. The seating was a leather couch that sank as she sat on it. Between the couch and the table, she felt that she was all settled in for one of the Gilmore movie nights.

"Excuse me, is Tristan going to be joining me?" But as Rory looked up the movie attendant was replaced with a very relaxing looking Tristan. He was wearing jeans and a simple navy sweater that made his eyes seem a darker shade of blue.

"Sorry I was late, but I forgot the French Fries." He said as he motioned to the bag he was holding.

Rory about jumped for joy, she hadn't even realized how much she has missed the greasy delights until Tristan mentioned them. "When you said prepare for a relaxing night at the theater, I thought you meant we would be attending the theater." She said giving him an evil stare has she grabbed a hold of the bag containing her French Fries. "The flowers were beautiful, thank you."

"Your welcome." He sat down next to her, though not to close. "You could have gotten more candy, I actually thought you would." He said with a smile.

"This is just the first round." He laughed as the opening previews started rolling. "You know we could have just rented a movie and watched it at your apartment."

Tristan looked at her, then grabbed a piece of pizza, "Nothing beats watching the movie in a theater, plus now we don't have to walk to far when we run out of food."

Rory noticed how Tristan was trying to make this a special day for her, and not be cocky about how he went to all this effort for her, and she really appreciated it all, however….

"What movie are we going to see?"

"Saratoga Trunk." Tristan went for some milk-duds, while Rory finished off the French Fries.

"Classic, why?"

"Something about the town, reminded me of the time when I visited Stars Hollow."

Rory nodded, but refrained from saying more since the movie's opening credits had started rolling.

* * *

"How we following up a classic movie, starring the classic movie actress Ingrid Bergman?" Rory asked Tristan as they exited the movie theater. "And how did you find this theater?"

"First you will have to wait and see, and second I literally stumbled upon this building during one of my first few trips to this remarkable city." Tristan had his hand resting upon Rory's lower back and gently guided her into the waiting limo, as Mark held the door. Mark smiled at his boss while Tristan winked at his employee.

"Stumbled upon, you've got to explain." She said as she slid across the seat, Tristan followed and waited for the door to close before continuing.

"Alexei and myself went out drinking to celebrate finding a suitable starting office space. We called a taxi to take us back to the hotel, but Alexei decided last minute to spend the night with Lina. Turned out to be a bad decision for him, but an even worse one for me, because my Russian is limited and I forgot what the name of the hotel was, so I ended up at this random hotel which of course did not recognize me or my name, meaning they soon kicked me out, leaving me wondering the streets, still drunk as a Bush daughter. I really don't recollect how I stumbled into the old run-down theater, but when I woke up the next morning I noticed I was surrounded by the dusty beauty of the old Star-Light Theater. I was enthralled."

"Enthralled?"

"Amazed, interested, never wanting to leave, so I started asking my new contacts about the abandoned theater. I learned the building was owned by a family, however the only reason they hadn't sold it was because the amount it cost to keep owning the property was less than the amount of pain it would be to see it torn down. Talking to the family was enchanting."

"Enchanting?"

"Educational. They showed me old pictures from when the theater was a live theater, then when it was revamped to be a movie theater, and finally the last show which was a mix of both types of the theater's history. I made an offer to restore the theater to it's originally glory, but with a twist."

"A twist?"

"Will you stop questioning my words?!" Finally he reacted to her consent questioning.

"Sorry, but the way you are wording your experience does not seem typical Tristan lingual." Rory said with the same disbelief tone she had been using during his explanation.

Tristan smiled and looked sheepish as her comments. "You're right but this theater is one of the few passions in my life. Can't you just image coming in, sort of like we did tonight, and lounging in couches watching new and old movies, new and old plays, original work produced by local artist."

The way Tristan talked about the theater Rory could tell that he was truly excited to be working on something that would give back to the community. "So what are all the twists and conditions the family agreed too?" Rory said in hoped to keep Tristan in a good mood.

"The family is actually doing most of the working, talking to contractors, approving the designs, etc. We agreed to keep the original design, and decorate with some of the original movie and play posters, along with pictures from the theaters history, including the times of its rundown and rebuilding arras. And the theater will be focused on bring art back to the community at an affordable price. The few people working tonight were actually two of the family members."

"What? I would have told them how amazing the theater looked if you would have told me." She said a little annoyed with him.

"They know, when I walked in they told me your reaction was to die for."

"To die for?" Seeing the side look from Tristan, "Sorry, but to die for?"

"They are working on their English."

"And I'm working on my acting skills." Though she was sure he was completely capable of another retort, he was to busy laughing to get one out. She had no choice but to start laughing with him. It was the first time, without Tristan's best friends around, they truly laughed together.

Mark looked into his mirror and saw the future.


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Mary or "Mary-ed": Chapter Eleven

Author: Aquarius Angle

Rating: PG

Authors Note: Life finally settled down enough for me get this chapter posted. There is only one more chapter and then an epilogue to go. I know this is long but I wanted to put their last night together all in one chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Gilmore Girls, except the seasons on DVD like all GG fans, and since I am still a single lowly student I don't have money so please realize if you sue me you will completely ruin my future, thank you!!

* * *

Tristan's follow up to the movie was a coffee house, where Rory was able to drink Russian's own unique coffees as well as some of her favorites from Hartford. However she quickly told her escort, about the best coffee on earth could only be found with Luke. The way she told him was not cocky or ungrateful, he knew she was giving him a piece of herself when she talked about Luke and his legendary coffee.

After the coffee house, or rather after Tristan dragged Rory away from the coffee beans, they were again in the limo with Mark.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"What about now?"

"Mark will you please ignore Ms. Gilmore, I should have stopped her from drinking that last cup of mocha-vanilla latte."

"As you wish Master Tristan."

"Where are we going now?"

"Wait and see."

"I am a Gilmore we are nothing but persistent, are we there yet?"

"Decaf!"

"Blasphemy!"

"Caffeinated to extreme!"

"Gilmore!"

"DuGrey!" At Tristan's last outburst they both promptly fell back into a fight of giggles, or rather Rory was giggling while Tristan watched her caffeinated self fall apart with a big grin on his face. He couldn't ever remember feeling this happy, or seeing the woman beside him as happy as she was at this moment.

The limo stopped and Mark held open the door for a solid minute, before either one of dual noticed.

"Rory?"

"What? Oh we're here!" She quickly jumped out of the limo excited to see what was next for Tristan to show her.

"A casino?"

"The Shangri-La hotel and casino, I figured after injecting you with coffee, we would need a more stimulating atmosphere." Tristan said as he led her into the hotel.

"I'm a terrible gambler."

"We could watch a show."

"And miss the black-jack tables? No way, bible boy, we are going to gamble away your future multi-million business."

"Alexie might get mad."

"Leave him to me, no one, and I do mean no one, can resist the Gilmore puppy-dog look." Rory was already dragging him towards the casino and ultimately his money's grim future.

Three hours later found Rory on a winning streak, and Tristan the gold-digger boyfriend at her elbow. She was in the middle of a poker game when Tristan was ready for the next phase of their evening. He had been standing behind her for the last twenty minutes, and though she did not come out and say it, she was enjoying him being on the side lines while she dominated the table. When another female came up to him, she would ever so slightly turn, place her hand on his arm, letting him know that she wished to speak to him, but couldn't take her attention away from the game. He would find him self giving the wanting female a small sorry smile, and leaning down to find out what Rory wanted from him, only for her to say never mind and continue with her game, a winning smirk plastered in her eyes. However now it was his turn to play flirt games with her.

Tristan drew closer to her chair, gently swept her hair to the side, and bent down to whisper on her neck. "Mary, you are the worst gambler." He felt a shiver run down her spine, but she was careful enough to leave her table mates unaware. "Quit while you're ahead and I'll give you another surprise." His voice was dripping in sexiness, that Rory had a hard time to keep from melting into a puddle under the table.

"Last hand gentlemen, it would seem my man is getting bored." Rory said nonchalantly to the three men she had been playing poker with for the last hours.

"Darlin' I could see to his entertainment if you give me the chance to win back some of the money you took from me."

"Sir I out smarted you fair and square, and I can see to my man's entertainment just fine thank you." She said with a wink as she won her last hand and rose from the table. "Gentlemen I would like to thank you for a lovely evening of cards." Rory took Tristan's arm and successfully walked away. "Where to lover boy?"

"Dinner." He said with a wink to his winning gal. Tristan led Rory to one of the Hotel's three restaurants.

When Rory saw the restaurant's décor she was amazed by the amazing atmosphere of being under the sea. She felt like she walked right into Triton's Kingdom. "Tristan this is amazing!"

"I know." Tristan loved being able to just watch Rory's reaction to all of Moscow's sights. Since he had not previously taken the time to explore his new home, he was enjoying being able share all of this with her, if only she realized how much this time together meant to him.

Their dinner went by quickly as they talked and watched the fish. Much like the previous night their topics were kept safe, avoiding anything they felt would ruin the good cheer of their evening. Both were aware of the fact this may very well be the last night the spend time together alone, and knew they needed this occasion to figure out what this constrained relationship would turn into when they returned to the states and ultimately to their realities.

As their dessert plates were being cleared, Tristan led a very satisfied Rory to the door. "What no dancing?"

"And give you the chance to step on my toes, I don't think so, however I have something better planed."

"Such as?" Rory asked skeptically, because she really did want to dance with Tristan. They were now being ushered out to their waiting limo, which Mark had pulled around to the front of the hotel.

"Tisk, Tisk, have you really not learned anything."

Once inside the limo Rory immediately turned to Tristan and tried to convince him to tell her how he planned to end their evening.

"Why don't you tell me where we're going?"

"No."

"I know you want to tell me."

"Actually…I don't."

"But you do, I remember vividly, you telling me how much the ending of the night was not a secret."

"I'm sure you do, however I don't recollect ever saying such a tale."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Rory asked in surprised shock.

"I would never!" He proclaimed in his defense.

"Then I must be right."

"Then you must."

"So…"

"So, what?"

"You were going to tell me where we are going."

"I was?" Tristan said in fake confusion.

"Yes." Rory said with fake frustration

Still looking confused Tristan was ready to continue his Gilmore torment, but the limo stopped. "I guess your waiting in suspense will have to wait, since it seems we have arrived."

"But where are we?"

Mark opened the door, and the couple exited to a parks gate. Rory could hear music coming from inside.

"Oh Tristan you bought me a park, it's what I always wanted. How did you know?" Rory said with complete surprise and happiness.

"I made a few phone calls."

"To my mother, how sweet." Rory said giving him the sweetest fake smile that ever crossed her face.

"Actually, I called Headmaster Charleston and Brad."

"Because those are the people I tell all my hopes and dreams too."

"I figured as much." Tristan started leading Rory into the park, giving Mark a head nod as they past. As they walked along the path the music grew louder, and then they were in front of a gazebo sparkling with lights. Rory was reminded of the Star's Hollow Gazebo during the fire-light carnival, Tristan had a weird feeling of day-ja-vu.

"May I have your hand for the next dance, my lady?" Tristan said with a small bow, while holding out his hand for Rory's.

"What about your toes."

"Step on my toes all you want, I won't care." Tristan said while leading his lady to the center of their personal dance floor.

The night air was chilly, but the dancing couple didn't notice. They were in their own private hideaway hiding from their own realities and personal feelings. They were finally living for themselves, living for the moment, living for the chance to just be happy.

* * *

"Thank you for tonight." Rory said sleepily from Tristan's shoulder, has he gently opened the door to his apartment.

"You're welcome." Tristan said gently has he sat her down on the couch, leaving her quickly to start the coffee pot. They had stopped to pick up to-go cups of joe, but Tristan knew that one cup would not last long for a Gilmore. Especially a Gilmore that declared twenty minutes ago, that though her feet were killing her, and she could barely keep her eyes open, that neither of them were going to be sleeping tonight, since they had six years to catch up on.

When he returned to her, with a BIG pot of coffee and two cups, she had a sinister look on her face. "What's on your mind Gilmore?" He asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Nothing, well actually something. I was just wondering what a date with Tristan King of Chilton would have been like. Care to indulge my curiosity."

"You do know that curiosity killed the cat."

"Good thing I'm just a kitten still."

Tristan laughed, and slightly blushed at the thought of what a typical date with him in high school consisted of, "I would of made you feel special by bring you to a fancy restaurant, which would of normally taken years to get a seat at, and then whisked you off to a concert or movie premier, with a very climatic ending at a make-out point or one of our houses."

"Sounds oh so repetitive and boring," Rory said with a frown.

"It was."

"Is that what you had planned when you ask me to the PJ Harvey concert?" Rory asked seriously hoping he had something more than dinner, concert, and hard core make-out session planned.

Tristan thought back to that time in his life. The one time he was uncertain of female's response to high-handedness. Though he should of known her answer would have been no, since she never indulged his egotistical self before, but he still held hope she would of at least considered going with him and not reject him like she had. "Yes, and no, honestly I didn't have much planned because I was too worried about your response to going with me to the concert."

"I should of said yes," Rory said guiltily.

"Why?" Tristan said hoping it was because she regretted going back to her green giant of a boyfriend and not because of the stupid "de-Mary" fiasco.

"Because we wouldn't have had to go through all this now," she said semi-dejectedly. She had fully enjoyed the majority of her time with Tristan over the last week, but if they would have gone to that concert everything would be different now. Maybe she would have considered him boyfriend material or at least friendship material, instead of going back to Dean, and ultimately getting hurt over and over again. She didn't regret her past and current relationships, but they were filled with many terrible and emotional moments.

However Tristan only heard the surface of her statement. "It's still about the Mary thing for you." Rory heard the defensiveness in his voice, and was worried about loosing everything they had worked so hard to tear down.

"No…I mean yes…Ugh…" She was frustrated as she watched his carefree blue eyes turn cold as he physically and mentally moved further away from her. "Tristan how can I move on with my life, if this," she moved her hand in a pointing direction between them, "is not taken care of? I love Logan and for some reason this means a lot to him." She said honestly, though she knew some how this week in Europe turned out to mean more to her than just pleasing Logan.

Tristan looked at her, really looked at her and realized she didn't know everything behind Hutzberger's façade. Which sadden him, but he wasn't the one to remove Rory's rose tented glasses. No he would leave that to her boyfriend. "Did you ever wonder why some high school nickname caused him to reject you?" He asked hoping to get her thinking and find out exactly what Logan clued her in on.

"He is not rejecting me! He just gave me time and space to get this thing between us sorted out. And I know why!" She said in defense of her relationship. Tristan raised his eyebrow at her, in a gesture for her to continue. "It's a tradition and tradition means a lot to the society circles we are held too." Rory said in frustration, since she has been saying this line over a thousand times the last month.

"The same society you use to laugh at?" Tristan asked, not realizing he was repeating something Rory had heard before from another man from her past.

"It's his world."

"It's his cross to shame." Tristan said this so quickly Rory was a bit taken back. He sighed and continued. "Go home, jump into his arms and ask him who his Mary was." Tristan stood to leave Rory with that last statement to contemplate, but being a Gilmore she would never let him have the last word, at least without a fight.

"What are you saying DuGrey." Her defense was up again, and they both knew it.

"You aren't naive enough to honestly think Hutzberger did not have his own Mary. With his natural leading ability and popularity? Think about it Gilmore, how does his past effect you?"


	12. Chapter 12

Title: "Mary or Mary-ed" - Chapter Twelve

Author: Aquarius Angel

Rating: PG-13

Author Notes: Okay this is the last chapter, but no fear there will be an epilogue. And if you haven't figured out by now what pairing this fic is you will be the end. Enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I'm not clever enough to own the rites to the Gilmore Girls, and thus I would never claim to own them, and hopefully you will also realize this information and NOT sue me!!!

* * *

"Is that her?"

"No."

"What about that lovely bonnie?"

"Finn, it has only been a week, did you seriously forgot what she looks like?" Stephanie said as she finally looked up from the Vogue she had been skimming the last ten minutes.

"Perhaps, I don't recall seeing her much before she left." Finn said while using his height to look over the many female heads surrounding him.

"That would be because Hutz is a stupid boy."

"Colin said the champ was handling the whole ordeal in stride."

"Meaning he just assume ignore Rory, the love of his life, until this all blows over."

"You suppose the estranged lover told her?" Finn said in a rare moment of honesty and fear.

"I suppose we are about to find out." The blonde said to her Aussie accomplice, as she viewed her rival and friend finally heading through the gate.

"Gilmore, doll, over here," Finn said while waving outrageously to the MIA brunette.

"Finn, Steph? What are you too doing here?" They all knew Rory really meant to ask why Logan did not welcome her back to the States.

"It would seem the world crumbled in your absence," Finn said while taking her bag and following the girls out of the airport.

"What the giant means, is that your mother called Logan this morning claiming a fish…"

"It was a fence."

"No it was a fish catastrophe. Something about being bigger than the bath tub?" Rory smiled and laughed softly at her mothers huge problems with any sort of death. "Well anyway, Logan was indisposed by Mr. Hutzbereger…"

"Daddy wanted him to attend a big wig meeting."

"Will you keep quite long enough for me to finish a sentence," Stephanie said while turning to glare at her friend. Seeing he was going to keep his mouth shut for at least the next minute she continued, "So Finn and myself were elected to be your pick-up drivers."

"What no gorilla masks?"

"We didn't want to raise suspensions with security. But no fear they are in the car," Steph said with a wink.

The trio walked to the car, the girls laughing while Finn hit on every flight attendant they pasted. However once they reached the car Steph became serious. "Now let's review your week's agenda."

Rory was a bit suspicious of Stephanie's behavior, "Have you become my personal assistant now?"

Finn started driving but quickly glanced at the heiress sitting next to him hopping she wouldn't upset Rory with Logan's high-handiness.

"Since you were busy keeping up on your school work, becoming editor, and then rushing off to Europe, we thought having a quick review of the week ahead of you would be needed upon your return to normalcy. Now once we get back to campus…"

"Who thought it would be good idea?" Rory asked still shocked her friend was reviewing her calendar.

"It was Logan's suggestion, but honestly Rory you have a busy week." Stephanie looked at Finn for help.

"Rory, love, they are only looking out for you." Finn said while looking at the unhappy brunette in the backseat of his SUV.

"Not you too Finn."

"Just listen Rory, when we get back to campus you will have the rest of the night to unpack and finish all the work you have to do before classes resume on Monday. On Wednesday we have Honor's bachelorette party, Thursday we will review you editors panel topics, Friday is the actual panel and the recital dinner, and then Saturday is the wedding."

"I forgot all about Honor's wedding," Rory said in shock.

"See now you're glad you have a personal assistant." Stephanie said just barely holding in the sigh of relief she felt. Glancing over at Finn, she saw that he too was relieved Rory handled the weekly review so calmly.

"Now seeing has I am not invited to the biggest wedding of the century, I with my handy…"

"You mean smart and conning."

"Side kick Colin, we fully intend to crash the reception. However you are our plan B, so keep your mobile handy."

Rory looked up and smiled at the Aussie. "Anything to help you and Colin drink for free."

"See Steph I told you Rory would understand how her role as plan B."

* * *

Rory's week back in the states and at Yale went by quickly. Stephanie was right about not having all of her work completed, and the paper was never a calm place. Rory and Logan were again living at the same apartment and their busy relationship was as normal as it ever was, meaning both living two different lives. Rory avoided long talks with her mother and all mention of her week in Russia with Bible Boy. By Wednesday night she was ready for a night out with the girls. Even though she didn't know Honor's friends, Stephanie was going with her and that meant a lot to Rory, however Rory didn't realize Stephanie was only their to keep an eye on her and report everything to her true friend, Logan.

Rory was in the middle of doing her third-fifth shot of the night when her cell phone rang. Forgetting to look at her caller id, Rory answered in her drunken state, "Girl's gone wild cell phone, Lola speaking."

"Going by Lola now interesting, care to leave this conversation on the record?"

"Never, Lina! What are you up too?" Rory was surprised to be hearing from Tristan's friend, and stumbled her way away from the noisy drunken girls that were currently singing along to the Bon Jovi song blasting from the juke-box.

"Unfortunately I am not having as much fun as you are on a Wednesday night," Lina said laughing at all the commotion.

"Sorry it is Logan's sister's bachorlette party."

"It's okay. I was just calling to check in and make sure you arrived back in Hartford safely. Tris was pretty close lipped about your leaving, but you know how he can be."

Rory sighed quietly to herself, "Yeah I know. The flight was fine, and I have been really busy getting back in the swing of school, the paper and life."

"I know how it is, image flighting off to visit your husband every couple weeks only to return to the college scene three days later. It takes it toll on you. Anyway I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay, but seeing as you are busy I'll let you go. Just remember to call okay."

"Calina, you don't have to pretend to like me just because I spent a week with Tristan," Rory said honestly and sadly.

"Rory I'm not, I truly want to try and be your friend, but I'll leave it up to you. Get back into the groove of life, and give me a call sometime soon and we can just chat like we did that morning we went shopping."

"Thanks Lina, I'll call. Bye." Rory put her phone back into her purse, put a smile back on her face and turned back towards the party, only to run right into Stephanie.

"Who was that?"

"Danielle from the paper, seems like Paris is causing some trouble."

"Do you need to head back to campus?"

"No I handled it. Now where is Honor I need to buy her another drink," Rory walked back to the party and her Yale life.

* * *

"There you are."

"Here I am."

"I was looking all over for you. I didn't see you when I was walking down the aisle, looking for you during the ceremony. Where were you?"

"Here."

"Here, you missed the wedding?"

"I will apologies to Honor latter."

"Forget Honor, what's going on?"

"You didn't say a word." Rory paused finally thinking of all that she learned an hour ago. She had sat here for an hour, and not until Logan walked in did it all click. However her pause gave Logan the opportunity to draw his own conclusions.

"He told you." Logan said simply, but before Rory realized they were discussing different topics, Logan continued. "Rory it's the past, more importantly it is my past. I don't ask about yours, so what right do you have to mine. God I can't believe he told you."

Rory just sat there and looked at her boyfriend of a little over a year and wondered what this suppose male told her.

"She wasn't suppose to fall apart like that, she was an heiress, I thought she would know. The partying and friends were all the same no matter what family or school you were from, it all blended together. Everyone knew that no one really cares about anyone else but themselves." Logan had started moving a bit like he always does when he is upset, but upon going into his closing sentence he turned back to Rory and stared her right in the eyes. "It wasn't my fault she didn't know what being a Mary was all about."

Rory was shocked to the point she stood up and held Logan's eyes in her own as if they were in a staring contest. "Who was your Mary Logan?"

"You already know Rory." Refusing to give into his outlandishness, she waited for him to tell her. Seeing the stare he was receiving from her he sighed and gave the answer she dreaded to hear, "Elizabeth DuGrey."

Rory reacted without even thinking and slapped him. He was a bit shocked but didn't move away. "You tore that girl's world apart."

"DuGrey should have warned his sister. But seeing as he had his own Mary to worry about, I understand now why he didn't bother punishing me for my crimes. It would have been a bit hypercritical of him wouldn't it.?"

"Unlike you Logan, Tristan never succeed in breaking me, it was never his intent. He never once tried to break my sprite or ruin the innocent picture of the world that I held. You on the other hand weren't happy until you took all innocence out of a fourteen year olds life." Logan's shame finally showed on his face though Rory was still not sure if he truly understood how he hurt not only Liza but also Tristan.

"I didn't think she would try to kill herself over sleeping with her best friend." Logan said as he took a seat in one of the chairs in the bridal room.

"You were suppose to be her boyfriend, and the girl was suppose to be her best friend, you not only betrayed her trust in you, but in the one true friend she had." Rory turned to leave, but stopped herself remembering why she missed the wedding to begin with. "And just so you know Tristan told me about his sister, but never mentioned your name."

"Then why weren't you at the wedding ceremony?" He asked dejectedly.

"Because you let me walk into a room full of girls you have slept and/or made out with, and though you will probably have some clever excuse, know that it hurt and that I will be moving out between ten and one tomorrow."


	13. Epilogue

Title: Mary or Mary'ed

Chapter: Epilogue

Author: Aquarius Angel

AN: see end

Disclaimer: Sometimes I wish I own these characters and then I remember that I'm not a good enough writer to enjoy that pleasure, so I won't claim them

Rating: PG-13

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Any messages for me Wendy?"

"Asia called about the new contract, Italy called about the old contract, and Helen called to make sure we were handling her extended vacation without any glitches." Wendy almost held her tongue about Helen calling, but not receiving a phone call from Mr. DuGrey's personal secretary would seem more unusual and her employer would know she was keeping phones calls from him. He had only been back from his business vacation for four days, in which Helen had been on vacation, and everything was going smoothly, she just hoped that didn't change.

To the secretaries surprise her boss gave her a smile and soft chuckle, "I hope you reassured her in our ability to live without her for only short bouts of time."

"That I did sir." Wendy said with a small smile. She really did enjoy her job, even if she still could not judge Mr. Dugrey's reactions to certain messages.

Tristan gave her a reassuring smile, "I will look into to Asia and Italy first and let you know when I need them on the line." He didn't wait for her responses just continued into his office. The first thing he noticed was the sun shinning through the glass and illuminating his rather large office. Though the new modern building designs turned towards all glass walls, Tristan enjoyed his privacy and had the traditional private walls, and left the glass for where it belonged. Allowing all the sunshine flood the office with all its glory. The second thing he noticed was the beautiful blue eyed brunette sitting in his desk chair.

"I thought you were on a flight back to Iowa for round four of campaigning?"

"It would seem that the senator decided to denture in Illinois, where a local journalist was willing to report for the unexpected stop." She said standing up to meet him half way.

They stood in front of each other, "Meaning…"

"I have four days before I need to be in Davenport for an ice cream tasting."

They smiled at each other with ridiculous smirks, both anticipating the next four days. "How much time did you promise your mother?"

"24 hours."

"Grandmother?"

"Dinner tomorrow night."

"Giving me?"

"All the time in between. Now kiss me before I think you don't love me anymore."

Before she could blink, one arm was around her waist while another went to her cheek and she was not allowed to catch her breath until she arrived in the Quad Cites five days later.

* * *

**Authors Note**: Okay this is obviously the end. I thought long and hard and I decide to go with leaving the ending simple, instead of taking on the job of rewriting the entire last season. So this ending flashes forward through the last season to when Rory has graduated and out on the campaigning tour. For those who want more, please do what I did all season, and every time Logan did or didn't make an appearance ask yourself 'what would Tristan do?' and that is how I picture everything for my last chapter to the epilogue. Just remember their becoming a couple wouldn't have been easy, just like their trip they would have to reintroduce themselves to each other, but with great friends and family they worked through the ups and downs and even being a part while Rory is pursuing her career.

**Thank you to all my readers, reviewers and those who added me to their favorites/alerts!!**

**I hope everyone likes the ending!!**


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